


you say my name like i have never heard before

by sofarsoperfect



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1950s, Alternate Universe - Mob, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Casual Mentions of Guns, Explicit Sexual Content, Kissing, M/M, Mob Boss Johnny, Period-Typical Homophobia, Server Kun, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:14:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25988002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sofarsoperfect/pseuds/sofarsoperfect
Summary: “I told you, I can take care of myself,” Kun says, tapping his fingers against the side of his glass and Johnny rests an arm on the back of his couch, leaning back.“I’m certain you can, on your own. But you seem to have gotten yourself involved with a bit of a bad guy, haven’t you?” Kun doesn’t reply, doesn’t even look up. “Oh, goodness, haven’t you. That’s alright, first thing you’ll learn about me is that I look after my own, Kunnie. That includes you, darling.”“I’m not yours,” Kun comments though he still doesn’t look up. He continues to look at the floor and Johnny leans forward again. He rests a hand on Kun’s thigh, brings his face close to the side of Kun’s head and places his lips next to his ear.“Not yet, baby,” he breathes into Kun’s ear. “But you see, I have a lot of bad habits. And one of those is making quite sure I always get what I want.”“Presumptuous, aren’t you?” He says. He leans away then, turns his head to look Johnny in the eye.“It’s in my nature.”
Relationships: Suh Youngho | Johnny/Qian Kun
Comments: 16
Kudos: 210





	you say my name like i have never heard before

**Author's Note:**

> *tw //
> 
> \- casual mentions of guns  
> \- period typical homophobia  
> \- explicit depictions of bruising post off-screen fight  
> \- description of results of off-screen shooting event
> 
> *mildly beta'd

It’s a Thursday evening so the club is loud, busy and Kun is already tripping over himself and patrons as he slides between tables. Wendy is looking especially darling tonight, draping herself over the microphone while she croons about lost love and cheating men. It’s a classic call out and Kun stumbles up to the bar, setting the tray down clumsily. Ten rolls his eyes, straightening the cups and bottles before taking Kun’s tray for him. Kun pulls at his collar, overheating in his waistcoat and button down a bit. 

“You doing okay, new guy?” Jungwoo asks as he glides up to the bar, handing his tray over to Xuxi, who takes it easily over the top of Renjun’s head. Kun looks over at Jungwoo and Jungwoo winks with a grin. Kun gives him a soft smile in return.

“A little overwhelming, I guess. Still gettin’ used to the job,” he says and Jungwoo nods, leaning against the curve of the bar. “It always this busy on Thursdays?” 

“Oh yeah,” Jungwoo agrees. “It’s a regular ol’ Thursday tonight. Take a breather before it gets worse,” Jungwoo says, reaching over to straighten Kun’s bowtie for him. “Have a smoke out back, the boys got the tin out there for your butt and Yangyang will always sneak us a bite if he has something,” he informs him and Kun nods with a smile. “I gotta get back to my post, Hendery hates running host. Catch you later, Kunnie,” Jungwoo says. He catches Kun under the chin before flouncing away and Kun turns back to the bar, Ten already setting up a new tray for him. 

There’s a little bit of commotion at the door and it’s all eyes on the entrance. It lasts only a moment before it clears out and Kun shifts his weight to lean heavier against the bar, crease in his brow as he views the men that walk in. 

Jungwoo smiles pleasantly at all of them, offers to take their coats and the man at the front gives him a little smirk back, slides his overcoat off and lays it in Jungwoo’s arm. He takes care of their coats quickly and then walks them down the floor, through the main walkways to the lower floor, right in front of the stage. There’s a reserved booth that Kun glanced at when he got in to run this shift this evening and Jungwoo shows them right to it, waving a hand for the group of five gentlemen to take a seat there. 

Jungwoo hops back up and Kun turns to lean his back against the bar, elbows on the edge of it, taking them in. 

They’re a regular motley crew, all of them tall, handsome and dressed to the nines in their wide lapeled suits, sans ties, a couple buttons undone and when they set their hats down, their hair is styled impeccably, gelled out of their face. The gentleman in the middle leans back like he owns the place, arms on the booth and looking about the club leisurely. 

“Ah, ah,” Ten says, snapping his fingers to get Kun’s attention. Kun whips his head around to look at Ten and Ten gives him a pointed look, shoving his tray at him. Kun turns back around and takes it with a sigh, pulling his notepad out. He doesn’t even make a step before Ten comes around to stand next to him, catching him by the waistcoat to tug him back. 

“Goodness, Ten, what?” Kun asks and Ten leans in close, eyes on the men at the table. 

“Do yourself a favor and stay away from that table, Kunnie, I see that look in your eye.” Kun turns to him, lifting a brow. “I’m telling you, you’ll be doin’ yourself a favor. Help literally anybody else in this club but don’t invite yourself over there.” 

“And just why not?” Kun asks because he’s dangerously curious. 

“You ain’t never heard of Johnny Suh?” Ten asks and Kun shakes his head with a little smile. 

“I ain’t never heard of no Johnny Suh. Who is he?” Kun asks. He can only assume Ten’s talking about the man in the middle, tall with handsome features, broad shoulders and long arms that drape across the back of the booth. Ten sighs, leans his hip against the bar and crosses his arms over his chest. He glances between the booth and Kun for a prolonged period of time before rolling his eyes. 

“He’s mob, Kunnie.” Kun scoffs but Ten rests a hand on his shoulder. “I mean it, Kun. He’s no good. He runs this town, got everybody from the mayor to the politicians under his thumb. Big name, the Suhs in this city. Korean mafia, ain’t nobody gonna mess with him. This club ain’t his, technically, but he’s here all the time and he’s been known to help Taeyong in a pinch.” 

“What’s next, you gonna tell me he’s bent too?” Kun jokes and Ten’s eyes shift awkwardly. “Oh, you’re pulling my leg, now.” 

“There isn’t a confirmation but it’s been said he doesn’t always play on the right side of the tracks if you get what I mean,” Ten says, softly. “Look, it’s nothing worth getting worked up about, I just thought you oughta know what you’re getting into here. They’re in all the time and they’re a decent bunch unlike the boys that come down from the northside to start things but I don’t suggest getting in their field anymore than necessary. They like me well enough but they don’t take well to newcomers they don’t know.” 

“I’ll keep my nose clean,” Kun promises. “I’mma do a round then grab a smoke out the back. I’ll avoid the lounge floor,” Kun says, tone almost teasing on the latter side of the statement, before stepping away from his friend. Ten doesn’t look convinced but doesn’t stop him. What they don’t notice is the way one of the men from the table is already looking. 

“Hey, John,” Yuta says and Johnny turns his attention to his friend. “You know that guy?” He asks, nodding towards the bar. Johnny turns his head, spots who Yuta must be talking about.

He doesn’t know him but he’s got a cute face. There are dimples in his cheeks when he smiles at Ten and he walks confidently when he steps away from Ten. He doesn’t know this guy, must be a new hire. 

“Can’t say I do,” Johnny replies. None of the waiters have been down and it’s not the worst thing in the world but he’s parched and he has half a mind to call out to one of them. 

“Don’t you get last say on all hires?” Yuta asks and Johnny gives him a tired look. “I’m just sayin’, you don’t know this guy. How you know he ain’t here to cause trouble?” 

“It really ain’t my business how Taeyong wants to run his club,” Johnny says. “I got a pitch in the house, that’s not enough for me to be making demands on who he hires in his place of business. Besides, the guy’s friends with Ten, how bad can he be?” Johnny asks. Yuta lifts a challenging brow and it’s annoying. If he told Yuta to let it go he would because he’s the boss around here but he’s a good guy so he drops his arms and leans on the table, catching Mark’s elbow where he’s chatting with Donghyuck. Mark startles and Johnny shakes his head at him, a blush creeping up Mark’s neck. 

“Hey, kid, do your big brother a favor,” he says and Mark lifts a brow. “Head on up to the bar and have them get Taeyong for me. I got a question for ‘im,” he says. Mark sighs but scoots out the booth, Hyuck moving out of the way to let him up. Hyuck sits back down as Mark heads up the stairs, Johnny settling back in the booth. 

Mark raps on the bar and a boy about his age comes up to him. He’s bigger and taller than him though and Mark knows that if it weren’t for his name this would be the kind of kid that would’a beat him up on the playgrounds at school. He grins at him though and Mark leans on an arm. He’s got a nice smile. 

“Hey, Xuxi, is it?” He says, reaching over to flick his nameplate. The boy watches him with thinly veiled amusement as Mark draws his hand back. 

“That’s mah name. What can I do for ya?” 

“Your boss in tonight?” Mark asks and he nods. “Great. You mind grabbin’ him for me?” 

“Who’s asking?” He asks, clearly not convinced and Mark jerks his head in the direction of the booth. The boy’s head turns and then zeroes in on the booth, right about the time Johnny glances over, lifting a brow at how long it’s taking Mark. Mark, being a mob boss’ son, admittedly gets a little bit of sick pleasure over how the poor guy’s face pales a little. Not by much, he’s pretty tan. His gaze swings back over and Mark smirks. “Boss man wants to talk to him. Mind gettin’ for me, dreamy?” He is pretty damn handsome. 

“Yeah, I’ll grab ‘im for ya.” 

“Thanks. Send him down to the table. Tell him Suh’s expectin’ him.” Mark leaves then, wandering back down the steps and to the table. 

Xuxi heads into the back quickly, up the stairs and knocks on Taeyong’s door, three short raps on the wood. Taeyong shouts for them to come in and he pushes open the door to see his boss smoking up in his office, glasses low on his face while he shuffles around papers. 

“Boss,” Xuxi says and Taeyong’s gaze flicks up, cigarette between his lips. “There’s someone who wants to talk to you.” 

“Xuxi, I’m a bit busy tonight,” Taeyong says, removing the cigarette from between his lips.

“It’s uh… Mr. Suh, sir,” Xuxi says. Taeyong sighs, closing his eyes as he lifts his head. 

“Dammit, Johnny,” Taeyong curses. He sucks hard on his cigarette once more before removing his glasses, letting them hang from the leather cord around his neck. He waves at Xuxi, getting to his feet, stabbing his cig out on his ashtray. Xuxi steps away from the door as Taeyong shuffles out the door, the two of them rushing down the steps. Taeyong waves him back to the bar and walks quick down the stairs, finds the man in question easy as ever. 

“Johnny,” Taeyong says. He pulls a chair from a table, sits down across from the mobster and Johnny gives him a bright grin. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” He asks, crossing his legs, strapping an arm across his middle and resting his elbow on his wrist to rub at his temple. 

“Aw, what’s wrong, Yongie? You look stressed,” Johnny says and Taeyong narrows his eyes at him. “Why don’t you get yourself a whiskey on my tab, you look like you could use it.” 

“No thanks, I can’t run numbers while my eyes are swimmin’,” Taeyong answers shortly. Johnny laughs, leaning back in his booth between Jaehyun and Mark. “What do you want?” 

“I got a question for ya,” Johnny says and Taeyong looks at him expectantly. “I noticed you got a new waiter in here. He just start?” 

“I just hired a guy, yeah. We were short staffed. He just moved in with Ten, Tennie said he’s a good kid. He does a good job, the regulars like him. Ten said he’s known for a long time and was looking for a job, just moved out of his family’s place,” Taeyong explains. “Why you grindin’ me over how I run my club, Suh?” Taeyong asks, leaning forward to rest his hands on the table. 

“Eh, eh, I’m just askin’ a question, no need to get defensive,” Johnny says with a grin, holding his hands in mock surrender. It’s a joke to see that, considering when he raises his arms Taeyong can see the shoulder holster Johnny would sooner be caught dead without under his suit jacket. “I just never seen him before.” 

“Well, I guess you were gonna meet him eventually.” Taeyong stands then, whistles and catches the attention of all the waiters in the bar. He points to Kun at the bar, waving him over. Kun leaves his tray with Ten, straightens his waistcoat and heads down the stairs. Johnny views him as he gets closer, giving him a once over. 

He is cute. Broad shoulders, well built, nice legs in those slacks. His black hair is neatly styled but there’s not a drop of grease in it, leaving it wavy and falling a bit in his eyes. Taeyong tugs him closer and Kun glances between the table and his boss. 

“Yeah, boss?” he asks and Johnny likes his accent. It’s cute. Everything about him is cute. 

“Thought it was high time you meet some of our regulars. Kun, this is Johnny Suh and his boys. Jaehyun, Yuta, Mark and Donghyuck,” he introduces them and Kun nods. 

“Nice to meet you,” he says and it’s darling how sincere it is. 

“You as well,” Johnny replies with a smirk. “Taeyong was telling me you just moved to town. I can’t lie to you, Kun, I’m kind of a big name around here. So you’ll do yourself a favor and stay on my good side, right?” He asks and Kun nods, still smiling. 

“Of course, Mr. Suh. Have you been helped?” A very good employee too. Oh, Johnny can already tell he’s gonna like this one. 

“Not yet. Why don’t you get me a round for me and my boys. Your best whiskey, neat, and throw it on my tab, okay, doll?” A blush creeps up Kun’s neck and Johnny flashes a bit of teeth as he grins this time. 

“Of course, Mr. Suh. I’ll be right back with those drinks.” He turns to Taeyong. “Anything else, boss?” 

“Not at all. When Johnny’s done bossing you around, take a break, aight?” He tells him and Kun nods once. 

“I dunno, Taeyong, I might just comandeer your new boy for the whole night if he’s this accommodatin’,” he says, eying Kun up and down. Kun glances away shyly and Taeyong narrows his eyes. 

“Don’t be a pest. You may put a lot of money into this club but it’s still mine, don’t forget that.” Johnny ducks his head a bit in admission. “After you’re done, break,” Taeyong says to Kun and then departs. Kun gives them all one more shy smile before leaving. Johnny glances as he walks away and he can admit that Kun’s backside certainly gives his frontside a run for its money. 

“Don’t be a pest, boss,” Jaehyun says, elbowing him in the side. Johnny shrugs a shoulder, leaning back in his seat. 

“Well, you know me, Jae. I just can’t help myself sometimes.” 

“What the hell was that about?” Ten asks as he pours glasses, putting them in a neat little circle on Kun’s tray. 

“It wasn’t nothing,” Kun says, straightening them a bit. “Taeyong just wanted to meet them. I’m gettin’ them drinks and I’m goin’ for a smoke. It’s nothing worth gettin’ worked up about,” Kun says, lifting the tray. Ten doesn’t look convinced but he flips the bottle, puts it away and Kun heads back down to get them their drinks. 

He lays them out neat but before he can set Johnny’s down in front of him Johnny reaches out and takes it from his hand. Johnny’s fingers brush against his and Kun pulls his hand back quickly, tucking his tray down by his side. 

“Anything else I can get you gentlemen?” He asks. 

“Nothing I can think of. Have a good break, doll,” Johnny says, bringing the drink to his lips. Kun nods once before heading up the stairs. Johnny leans back in his seat, sipping languidly at his drink as the band starts a new song for Wendy to coo along to. 

The night trickles along and Kun finds himself refilling glasses at multiple tables, but always being pulled back to Johnny’s, answering to his beck and call. He’s a good employee so he’s going to answer no matter what but he has a feeling Johnny is a special case so he checks in on him frequently and is always rewarded with Johnny’s attention all over him. It sometimes feels as though Johnny is flirting with him but he’s no idiot and knows better than to fall for things like that. He keeps it polite, professional, even though Johnny seems intent on calling him cute names and watching him with attentive eyes. 

Johnny and his boys leave late, only an hour or so before last call and Kun heads down to meet them, asking them about their night. 

“It was delightful, thank you, darling,” Johnny says, putting his hat back on. “I’ll be sure to tell Taeyong to give you a raise, the least you deserve after all I’ve put you through this evening.” 

“Please, it was no trouble at all,” Kun assures him. Johnny gives him another once over and it’s scorching. He steps up, he must be at least a head taller than Kun, and Kun doesn’t consider himself a slouch in the height department, and he chews on the inside of his lip as Johnny rests a hand on his shoulder. 

“Have a good night, Kun. Get home safe, these streets are full of unsavory characters at this hour.” He winks and then leads his boys up the stairs. Kun breaths a slow, deep breath before turning to the table, beginning to pick up the glasses, stacking them on his tray to take to the bar. 

Ten offered to stay late that night to finish with the closing up, leaving Kun to leave with the others. It’s not a far walk to their apartment so he ducks out into the chilly night, coat wrapped tight around himself. Sicheng offers to give him a ride but Kun declines, wiggles a pack at him and goes along his way. It is late but he’s walked this before so he retrieves his matches from his pocket, placing a cigarette between his lips. 

He strikes it once, twice, three times and sighs. Honestly, these things are the worst, and he runs a finger over the striking patch along the side of the box. He tries again, no luck and removes the cigarette from between his lips. 

“Have a probably there, darling?” 

Kun startles, plastering himself to the wall. He’s not terribly big and only average in height so he’s more than a little nervous that someone is there until they step out into the street light. The gentleman removes his hat and Kun breathes a breath. It’s not a sigh of relief, he’s still unnerved but at least he knows who this is. 

“Bad matches, I guess,” Kun says as Johnny walks over to him. He holds onto the brim of his hat as he comes in close. Tucking his fedora under his arm, he takes the box gently from Kun’s grasp. Reaching for his hand, he removes the cigarette from between Kun’s fingers, grasps Kun’s cheek gently with his fingertips and rests his thumb on his lower lip, tugging down to prompt him to open his mouth. 

He places the cigarette tenderly between Kun’s lips and Kun watches as he retrieves a new match, holds it up only to strike it aflame with his thumb nail. It’s a trick Kun’s heard of but never managed to perfect. Johnny holds the flame to the end of his smoke until it’s lit, glowing softly. Johnny lifts the match to his face, blowing it out with pursed lips. 

“Thanks,” Kun breathes, taking the smoke from between his lips. He blows a soft breeze of smoke as he says it and Johnny smiles. 

“Of course. Now what did I say about getting home safe. You have no idea who might be lurking in these streets,” he says. He takes Kun’s other hand in his and rests the match box in the palm of it. Kun curls his fingers around it, only to shove it into his pocket. 

“Yes, well, it’s not very far to mine,” Kun says, swallowing. “I’ve walked this walk many times, I’ve been fine every time.” 

“Well, then you won’t mind if I join you,” Johnny says and Kun sighs softly. 

“No, I suppose not.” 

They walk in silence, only their breathing accompanying them. Johnny puts his hat back on and Kun glances at him ever so often. His eyes are on a swivel it seems and if what Ten says is true, that would make quite a bit of sense. Kun tries not to think too hard about it, the implications of that and finishes his cigarette on the doorstep of their apartment, turning to look up at the old, wooden building. 

“Well, this is me,” Kun says and Johnny nods. “Told you it wasn’t very far,” he says and Johnny smiles a small little thing. 

“Well, I suppose you have a point.” It wasn’t much more than three blocks but Johnny still looks down at him, hesitating to leave. “Get up safe and be sure to lock your door this evening.” Kun scoffs, shifting his weight to cross his arms over his chest. 

“Please, Johnny, I’m a grown man, I think I can take care of myself,” Kun says with a little laugh and Johnny looks away as though suddenly bashful. When his eyes meet Kun’s again it’s a very pointed look. The way his eyes swept Kun’s figure are hot like a brand and Kun shifts once more, a little more shyly, averting his eyes. Johnny smirks at him. 

“Believe you me, darling. I can quite see that,” he comments. He reaches out, tucks a stray piece of hair behind Kun’s ear and lets his fingers linger. “I’d just hate to see something happen to you. A precious doll like yourself should be careful. You haven’t the slightest idea as to the kinds of people that live in this town. Why, I can only imagine the kinds of things someone might do to you if they were catch you unawares.” 

“Trying to spook me?” Kun challenges and Johnny grins as he leans close, close enough that Kun has to tilt his chin up a bit to look Johnny in the eye. He’s so darling. 

“Not at all, dear. Just warning you.” His hand draws down Kun’s cheek, fingers curling briefly around the side of his neck. “I told you before and I’ll say it again, there are quite a few unsavory characters in this area. You should be careful.”

“Perhaps you should as well,” Kun says and Johnny lifts a brow. “Lord knows what someone might think if they were to see the two of us like this.” His eyes flicker down, making a point of the way Johnny’s touching him, and Johnny holds a little more firmly to the side of his neck, can feel it under his fingertips when Kun’s breath hitches. 

“Like what, dear?” He inquires. Johnny’s a bit of a dangerous fellow as it is, likes to experience risk and play with flames so he leans down just a bit more, enough so his lips brush along Kun’s cheek and can feel it against his face when Kun’s lashes flutter. “I’m afraid I haven’t the slightest as to what you could mean. Perhaps you should enlighten me.” 

“Do you get your jollies out of playing dumb?” He retorts, though he swallows before he says it and Johnny finds him absolutely incredible. 

“Quite the talker, aren’t you, baby,” Johnny says. He pulls away then, lets his hand fall away and Kun breathes deeply, like he hasn’t been able to since running into Johnny. “I think we’ll be getting along quite fine. Have a good night, dollface.” 

Johnny saunters off with his hands in his pockets and Kun breathes a deep breath. He feels strung tight and nervous and he waits only a moment before heading inside. Johnny glances back as the door snaps shut behind him and smirks to himself. 

Oh yes, he likes this one very much. 

Kun finds out rather quickly that Johnny, while being a regular, keeps himself scarce in the club. It’s funny, the way Thursday feels like a rather realistic fever dream when he comes in on Friday and it’s busy as all get out but the booth isn’t marked reserved and it’s a rather normal evening all things considered. He helps guests and makes conversation with sweet men and women alike and sneaks smokes out the back door with Sicheng and Hendery. He falls into routine within the club, helping guests and talking to Ten and Jungwoo when he doesn’t have to run around. 

Over the next week he works a couple of bussing shifts rather than serving and it’s a bit of a bust to his pockets but it’s not terrible. He and Ten dance around each other when one of them has the day off while the other one has to work, their tiny little flat feeling even smaller as they rush around each other to get ready. 

When Thursday stumbles back around, Kun’s feeling more tired than he was expecting. Maybe it was just bad sleep, or the fact that his pinstripe waistcoat was still in the laundry and he had to scrounge up his plain back one instead, or the fact that for some reason Wendy’s voice is grating tonight. It isn’t usually but he feels sensitive and strung out and he hides in the kitchen more than he wants to admit, chain smoking out the back door until Sicheng and Ten call out to him that they need help on the floor. It’s a terrible night and he truly doesn’t think it can get worse until Jungwoo greets Johnny at the door. 

Kun considers calling in sick for that night and bailing but he and Ten can’t make rent like that. Kun just doesn’t have the time for stupid mind games from men that he shouldn’t be lusting after anyway but Johnny spots him and gives him a pointed look with a smile which tells Kun he’s going to waiting on him hand and foot again. And honestly, Kun would really like to just pass it off on Sicheng but he’s also not an idiot and doesn’t really want to know what happens to people who ignore Johnny Suh. 

He’s only got two of his lackeys with him today, which is a change from last week and Kun plasters on a smile as he approaches. 

“Good evening, gentlemen. What can I get you tonight?” 

“Good evening, darling. Tell me, has Taeyong restocked his scotch shelves.” 

“New shipment just this morning.” Johnny gives him a dazzling grin but Kun does not have the energy to play tonight. 

“Just what I wanted to hear. It’s a bit much for the kids. Three glasses, neat, if you don’t mind and-” 

“Your tab?” Kun interrupts and Johnny looks surprised. 

“Quick learner, aren’t you? That would be correct.” 

“Right away,” Kun says and he walks away quickly, head already pounding with the prospect of dealing with Johnny tonight. 

He spends as much of the night as possible avoiding the table. He’s not rude, he’s not unprofessional but if he walks the upper decks a little more than the lounge flooring than the others, no one can prove it. And if he disappears into the back for more smokes than usual, that’s his business. It’s uneventful and even though he can feel Johnny’s eyes on him far more often than he wants to he keeps his cool all the way until Johnny leaves. 

Which is sooner than last time, Kun notes as he sees the men out. 

“Have a lovely evening,” Kun says and Johnny glances as Kun begins picking up the table. 

“You as well,” he replies shortly and Kun wonders briefly if Johnny is upset. He doesn’t dwell on it too long, he’s still got a long night ahead of him, after all, that he truly just wants to be over. 

Ten stays late again and Kun walks home once more, thankful for some fresh air. He doesn’t even light a cigarette and he actually hangs around the club for a bit longer than usual, just trying to breath. His head hurts, his feet are sore and he can’t help that he’s totally and utterly exhausted. He sits on the curb for a moment, just breathing before he finds the gumption to head home. 

“Well, that wasn’t quite what I was expecting tonight,” Johnny says and Kun startles again. Count on Johnny Suh to be lingering even hours after he’s left. He presses a hand to his chest as Johnny approaches. He’s sans hat this time and his hands are tucked into the pockets of his coat as he approaches. “You were rather… unapproachable tonight, weren’t you?” 

“I’m sorry, did you find your service unsatisfactory?” Kun asks, beginning to walk towards his apartment. Johnny follows after him, not far behind. 

“Not at all. You just seemed a bit… short, this evening. Is everything alright?” He asks and Kun turns to look at him. 

“Of course, everything is fine. Now I really, really do not need an escort home so if you don’t mind-” He turns to go but Johnny is fast. 

He reaches for Kun, slides an arm around his waist and tugs him in close. Kun stumbles into Johnny’s chest and Johnny looks down at him, a crease in his brow, eyes confused. Kun’s breath stutters in his chest as his hands find Johnny’s biceps to steady himself while Johnny brings his free hand, the one not splayed over Kun’s hip, up to cup his cheek. 

“You’re upset,” Johnny says. 

“I’m not,” Kun says and Johnny smiles, a tiny little rueful thing. 

“Must you lie?” He asks. His fingers creep along his jaw and down his neck, gently tipping his chin up so Kun will look him in the eye. “I can tell you are. You see I’m rather decent at reading people and it really bothers me when someone lies. I just don’t see a reason for it. So why are you upset?” 

“You don’t like lies?” Kun replies and Johnny lifts a brow as though prompting him to say more. “How rich, coming from a mobster.” 

“Well, I suppose I make it rather obvious, don’t I?” Johnny says. “You see, dear, I hate being lied to because I don’t tell lies.” Kun scoffs and Johnny trails his fingers down Kun’s throat only to slide them back up to cradle his neck gently. “Oh, I sugar coat things and I don’t say things but I’ve never told a lie. What good are they? So do me a favor, doll, and tell me honestly; why are you upset?” 

“It’s just been a bad night,” Kun says. “That’s all.” His lips press into a thin line as he says it and Johnny leans in closer, brushes his lips along Kun’s and feels the little gasping breath Kun lets out. 

“Would you let me change that?” He whispers against Kun’s lips.

“I don’t know you,” Kun reminds him. “I don’t know you and you don’t know me and you think I’m just going to let you in my bed just like that?” 

“How about my bed?” Johnny suggests and Kun huffs an incredulous laugh, looking away. “Alright, I see. How about… my apartment?” Kun tilts his head back over to view him. “I’m an honest man so I’ll tell you honest to God, if you don’t want me I won’t force myself on you but you’ve had a bad night. Surely you don’t want to go home to that tiny little flat only to wake up tomorrow and have to run around your roommate all day long. My flat is just lonely me and it’s much too big. Spend the night, just spending the night nothing indecent, and rest your head. Perhaps it will make you feel better.” 

Kun is not a fool. He prides himself in not being an idiot, in knowing when things are traps. But maybe he is having a bad day and maybe he doesn’t want to run around Ten all day tomorrow just to get ready to go into work and Johnny’s lovely. Kun knows what he is but he doesn’t hide it, said so himself, so he’s intrigued. 

And at the end of a very long night, he might be a little stupid. 

“I have to leave a note for Ten, so he doesn’t worry. But okay,” Kun agrees and Johnny grins at him. “Nothing indecent. You promised.” 

“I did. And I’m a man of my word, darling.” 

Johnny’s place is much bigger than Kun and Ten’s and Kun isn’t really surprised in the least. It’s beautiful, with ornate furniture and a shiny kitchen. He looks around as Johnny locks the door, glances back to see him doing up three locks beyond the handle. No surprise there and Kun hesitates in the foyer, unsure how to proceed. 

“Your coat, darling,” Johnny says and Kun hands it over to him, Johnny delicately hanging it on the rack. His shoes land on a rack near the door and despite the late hour, Johnny wanders over to the kitchen, calls out, “a glass of wine, darling?” 

“Oh, I’m not much of a drinker,” Kun says. The cupboard closes sharply and he looks over to see Johnny looking at him curiously. 

“A club employee not much of a drinker?” He asks, coming over to the bar. Kun lifts a shy shoulder, toeing off his shoes and wandering further into Johnny’s apartment. Johnny notices the way he keeps to himself, hands held close to his stomach and his eyes glance around curiously. For all his projected confidence in the club he certainly is a shy little thing and Johnny wonders briefly if he’s ever actually been in another’s man's apartment like this. 

And yet when Johnny made his intentions rather clear he didn’t back down. A little more confident in the streets then, Johnny considers and he hums softly to himself. 

He picks up a bottle anyway, grabs a glass for himself and fills a glass of water for Kun. He comes over to him then, offers the water and Kun’s eyes lift to view him. 

“Thank you,” Kun says softly. 

“Of course. Now there’s no need to stand on ceremony here, dear, you can sit wherever you’d like,” he says. He sits down with his bottle of red, uncorked in the kitchen, and pours himself a glass on the coffee table. Kun sits on the edge of the couch delicately while Johnny settles back next to him. Kun’s eyes keep glancing around and Johnny views him over his glass of wine. 

Johnny, for all his faults, is a patient man. It’s a virtue he had to teach himself, it makes him a better boss than his old man, he’s certain of that. He’s gotten very good at waiting things out and it’s gotten him much better pay offs than cutting to the chase. He is, however, feeling rather impatient being so close but so far away from this pretty thing in his apartment. Kun isn’t the first man he’s had his eyes on before but he might be one of the only ones to reply so quickly so it makes him antsy. He wants Kun and surely Kun must’ve picked that up by now. 

“You look tired, darling,” Johnny comments and Kun looks over at him. “If you’d like to sleep just say the word.” 

“That seems rather rude considering you invited me over,” he says and Johnny sets his glass aside, sliding closer to him on the couch. Kun’s eyes fall as Johnny reaches out, cupping his cheek, brushing a thumb under his eye. 

“It’s late. I have a terrible habit of being awake far later than I should but a pretty thing like you needs your beauty sleep, don’t you?” Kun rolls his eyes good naturedly and Johnny smiles. “I have a guest room just down the hall, it really doesn’t see much action so it should be more than ready for you, sweetheart.” 

“You’ll be awake?” 

“For quite some time yet.” 

“It’s nearing three,” Kun points out and Johnny shifts back a bit, letting his hand fall from Kun’s face. He pretends not to notice the way Kun hesitates to move back.

“Bad habits,” Johnny says as explanation. “Besides, someone has to be awake to protect you.” 

“I told you, I can take care of myself,” Kun says, tapping his fingers against the side of his glass and Johnny rests an arm on the back of his couch, leaning back. 

“I’m certain you can, on your own. But you seem to have gotten yourself involved with a bit of a bad guy, haven’t you?” Kun doesn’t reply, doesn’t even look up. “Oh, goodness, haven’t you. That’s alright, first thing you’ll learn about me is that I look after my own, Kunnie. That includes you, darling.” 

“I’m not yours,” Kun comments though he still doesn’t look up. He continues to look at the floor and Johnny leans forward again. He rests a hand on Kun’s thigh, brings his face close to the side of Kun’s head and places his lips next to his ear. 

Johnny lets his lips touch and brush the shell of Kun’s ear, watches the way his lashes flutter and drags his hand further up Kun’s thigh. Kun’s hand moves quick, lands on Johnny’s hand to stop it from getting too far. His hand is still just over halfway up Kun’s thigh, however and Johnny smirks, presses a kiss just under his ear and Kun shivers just the slightest bit. He doesn’t pull away even though he could, even though Johnny wouldn’t stop him and Johnny likes this game. He loves the way Kun lets him get so, so close. 

“Not yet, baby,” he breathes into Kun’s ear. “But you see, I have a lot of bad habits. And one of those is making quite sure I always get what I want.” 

“Presumptuous, aren’t you?” He says. He leans away then, turns his head to look Johnny in the eye. 

“It’s in my nature.” 

Kun excuses himself quickly after that, and Johnny lets him go, finds himself alone on the couch in moments. He hears it when the door to the spare room snaps shut and he reaches for his wine, taking a sip. 

He’s getting closer. 

Kun doesn’t wake until well into the morning the next day and Johnny calls around a bit in the meantime. He has a few business calls to make when, after all, being a mob boss can be a bit sticky on occasion. Things have been looking up, however, not much happening in the city. Yuta handled a bit of a problem just the week before last so when he calls on updates Yuta is more than a little proud to announce that everything is quiet from the north. It’s a good thing and Johnny is feeling a bit more optimistic than usual. He’s in such a good mood he makes one last call before checking in on his doll. 

“What do you want, it’s barely gone nine in the morning,” Taeyong grouches as he’s wont to do in the mornings. It doesn’t even phase Johnny and he leans against his table, phone tucked between his shoulder and ear, holding his mug between his hands. 

“Well ain’t you a breath of fresh air in the morning,” Johnny quips. 

“I went to sleep at four in the goddamned morning, Johnny. Cut to the chase.” Johnny sips his coffee leisurely. He also went to bed around four but far be it for him to rain on Taeyong’s pity parade. 

“I wanted to let you know one of your waiters won’t be in tonight. He came down with something last night and I just don’t think he should be out and about. Do me a favor though, he’s been having a bit of a rough time of it so give him the night with pay. No reason a bit of an illness should put ‘im out in the streets.” He can feel more than anything the way Taeyong is glaring at him through the telephone. 

“Do I look. Like a charity. To you?” He says slowly and pointedly. Johnny chuckles softly. 

“I assure you the generous donation you’ll be getting from the Jung Loans Company will more than enough cover this slight inconvenience,” Johnny tells him. He knows he’s being a bit of a problem right now and Taeyong is quite over his bullshit but he’s nothing if not a businessman. Doing this favor for Kun is a bit of an overstep perhaps but sometimes you do crazy things to impress someone. 

“Will it cover my being a man short on a Friday evening?” Taeyong retorts. 

“Oh, Taeyong, you know as well as I do that any one of your kitchen or bus kids would be more than happy to graduate to server, even just for the night. Do this little favor for me and I promise I will make it worth your while.” 

“I suppose it won’t kill me to let Hendery run about on the floor for an evening,” Taeyong concedes and Johnny smiles to himself. “Now when you say ‘come down with something’ I hope you don’t mean something indecent by that, Suh. How you run your life is your business but if you start sticking your nose places it doesn’t belong just to get in the pants of one of my waiters-” 

“Would I do that?” 

“Yes.” It’s firm and more than a little annoyed. 

“Taeyong, you’ve known me for quite a while and while I am, yes, a bit of a pest, I can promise you I won’t be in your way. I mean absolutely nothing indecent, I just wish to make one of my favorite servers feel a bit more comfortable.” 

“Oh goodness, you must mean Kun,” Taeyong groans. “He’s a good man, Johnny. Ten wasn’t specific about why he moved down here but let me be clear, Ten insisted it hasn’t been easy for him. Don’t make his life more difficult than it has to be. Sometimes the nicest thing you can do for someone is not get involved at all,” Taeyong says and Johnny shifts his weight, considering his words. “I’ll let the kitchen staff know and tell Hendery he’s on floor tonight but don’t make a habit out of this. Not for mine or Kun’s sake, he’s not the type to ask for something like this, but yours.” Taeyong hangs up without another word. 

Johnny sets his phone back in the cradle and leans against his table, bringing a hand up to rest his fingers against his lips. It’s a very vague thing to say, and it makes Johnny curious. No one in this world has had it easy but to suggest that someone like Kun might’ve had a hard life seems hard to believe. He’s so soft, gentle but there is a bite there that Johnny can’t deny. He could liken Kun to a smooth whiskey like that. But that begs the question, what aged him so perfectly?

He goes in to find his sleeping beauty still just that, sleeping. He’s rolled onto his side, curled up with his hair falling into his face in gentle waves. His lashes are so long, fanned out prettily and Johnny sets the mug he brought for him on the dresser in the room. He crosses the room to sit on the edge of the bed, brushing his hair out of his eyes. 

Johnny brought him a sleep shirt the night before and it’s too big on him, the sleeves drip down past his fingertips adorably. Johnny can’t help himself, he’s never seen a person and been quite so fond of them as quickly as he became fond of Kun. It’s the way he’s quick, sharp, witty but blushes so softly when Johnny makes so much as the slightest advance. He never pushes him away though, already sleeping in Johnny’s guest room. A little reckless maybe but Johnny’s always liked a little bit of risk himself. 

“Doll, it’s time to wake up,” he says softly. Kun shifts in his sleep, rolls away between the blankets and blinks his eyes open slowly. He’s got the most darling flush in his cheeks, a little puffy from sleep and Johnny wants to kiss him. It catches Johnny a tad off guard, how much he wants to kiss Kun awake but he fears that might be a little too forward. So he merely reaches over and brushes his knuckles softly along Kun’s cheek, watching his long lashes flutter, still sleepy. 

“What time is it?” Kun asks, voice raspy with sleep. Johnny wants to do so much more than kiss him when he speaks like that and Johnny removes himself from Kun’s side lest he do something unseemly. He walks over to retrieve the coffee from the dresser while Kun sits up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. 

“Almost ten,” Johnny says, coming back over to hand him his coffee. Kun’s eyes go wide and round and he pushes the blankets off as though to make a dash for the door but Johnny stands in front of him. He keeps Kun in bed by blocking his escape and pointedly holds out the coffee. Kun looks at him for a long moment but takes the mug and settles back, though doesn’t move from the edge of the bed. Johnny smiles, placated, and sits next to him. 

It’s Johnny’s greatest weakness, that he’s soft for cute things. Not many people know about it but he well and truly is so it’s no wonder he can’t stop touching Kun. His fingers brush against his cheek as he sips his coffee, up into his hair, pushing it away from his eyes. It’s so soft and silky to the touch, Johnny spends more time than necessary combing it away from his face. Kun doesn’t comment though his eyes droop a bit, as though lull by the motions of Johnny running his fingers through his hair. 

“If you’re worried about work, you shouldn’t be,” Johnny says softly. “You won’t be going in tonight. I made certain of that.” 

“You expect me to pay my bills with your kindness?” Kun asks, a bit sharp and Johnny smirks, tugs a little harder on the next stroke. The sound Kun lets out is so soft Johnny almost misses it but he scrapes his fingertips along his scalp and he’s certain he gets the same kind of noise once more. For being a soft and demure little thing Kun certainly has a way of riling Johnny up. 

“I made sure Taeyong gives you an honest wage for an honest day off. Nothing wrong with taking a bit of time for yourself.” 

“Nothing wrong except that I really shouldn’t,” Kun says. He reaches over, just far enough that he’s out of Johnny’s range and Johnny drops his hand to his lap as Kun sets his mug on the bedside table. He gets to his feet and begins looking around for his clothes. “I have to head into work, that’s not fair to the others. I have a whole shift I have to do and it’s a Friday, the club will be packed, I’m certain of it.” He finds his clothes on the desk, which he folded into neat little squares and begins unfolding them. “While I appreciate that you’ve tried to do something nice for me, I just don’t feel right about it.” He’s halfway through unbuttoning the sleep shirt when Johnny gets over to him, having pushed himself to his feet halfway through his little speech. 

It’s distracting, the way Kun is revealing his slivers of his pale skin the further he unbuttons and it takes Johnny’s attention for a moment before he focuses back on the task at hand. 

“Don’t bother, he’s already gotten coverage for the floor,” Johnny says. He reaches out, rests his hands on Kun’s where they’re curled around the edge of his shirt. Kun freezes. “After last night, I think the least you should do is take some time to relax,” Johnny says. He, despite wanting to do quite the opposite, begins buttoning Kun’s shirt again. “Nothing wrong with taking some time to care for yourself. And if you’d like, I’ll accompany you. I haven’t much to do today as it is, it’s been rather… quiet, for me.” 

“Busy man like yourself has nothing to do?” Kun quips. “Well, I just find that hard to believe.” 

Johnny finishes a button a few inches below Kun’s collarbone and stops there. It’s a little lower than before but Kun doesn’t comment. Johnny likes it like this, he likes the little tease of Kun’s beautiful collarbones and the darling little freckle he has at the base of his neck. It matches the one on his brow that Johnny is desperate to kiss. 

“When you run a tight ship you find you have a little more time on your hands than you really know what to do with,” Johnny says, letting his hands fall away. He meets Kun’s eyes and finds Kun looking at him, an unconvinced brow raised. “If you’d like, we could go to lunch or just on a bit of a drive. You were right, we really don’t know each other at all and I think I’d like to change that.” 

“Oh really?” Kun says. “Trying to settle your conscience about propositioning a man you know next to nothing about.” He snatches his clothes up and walks past Johnny. Johnny breathes a laugh, shaking his head to himself. He turns to follow Kun, only to find, as soon as he reaches the door, Kun has snapped the door to the bathroom shut. 

“Well, I apologize if the way I came off was rather… brash,” Johnny says, coming over to stand next to the door. The loud ‘HA!’ he gets is answer enough. “I didn’t mean to seem that way. I just felt as though you could use some company, but perhaps that was the wrong way of going about things.” 

“Oh, perhaps?!” Kun calls out through the door. 

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Johnny goes on but it feels a little less like he’s trying to defend himself and a bit as though Kun is pulling his leg. He might be but Johnny rather likes it. He’s got a smile on his face as he says these things and he knows Kun is getting a kick out of him trying to make up for last night. Yes, he may have jumped the gun a bit in inviting Kun over to his apartment but it’s hard to maintain appearances when Kun just drives him so crazy. 

Kun emerges, dressed in last night’s clothes. It’s a funny look considering he’s dressed in what is essentially evening wear, though he keeps the bowtie and waistcoat off. He’s got a couple of buttons undone at his neck and Johnny can see he’s left it the same as when Johnny did them, a few inches below his collarbone revealed. That little freckle is mocking him. 

“Offend me?” Kun asks, standing in the doorway with a hand on his hip. “Well, you have a funny way of showing it. You barely know me and here you are, asking me over to your apartment, suggesting that I might crawl into bed with you in a moment’s notice.” He steps closer and Johnny bites the inside of his cheek to stop from grinning, though Kun seems to have no qualms about it as he looks up at Johnny. “You think you’re so suave, don’t you? So debonair. And yet you didn’t even have the forethought to ask if I’d even be interested in men. And if I was, you really thought I would be so easy.” 

“That’s really not the intention at all,” Johnny replies. “You know I’d never think you as easy, babydoll.” 

“‘Babydoll’?” Kun comments and Johnny presses his lips together, knows Kun is going to get him for that slip. “Well, ain’t that something. A new one, Suh?” 

“Kunnie-” 

“I really ought to be going,” Kun says. “Hate to get in the way of your ‘nothing much to do’ day,” Kun comments. He walks right on past Johnny and into his living room. 

It’s a cat and mouse game. Johnny knows it too. It’s pay back for last night and Johnny follows him to the living room, finds Kun tying up his shoes and snatching his coat off the rack. Johnny leans against the doorway to the hallway and Kun glances over his shoulder at him. 

“I really am thankful for last night,” Kun says, voice softening. “Thank you for having me over. It’s not often I sleep so well, especially someplace to foreign.” 

“The least I could do,” Johnny says. He walks closer and Kun doesn’t move from where he stands near the door. Johnny walks right up next to him, curls his fingers around the side of his neck and this time Kun lets him get in close, so close Johnny is leaning over him. When Kun steps backward it’s the perfect angle for Johnny to rest his free hand on the door next to his head, caging Kun back against it.

“Would you like something as a thank you, Johnny?” Kun asks. It’s coy and Johnny adores him. 

“Whatever gave you that idea?” He replies. 

Kun pushes himself up a little bit, places his lips against Johnny’s and kisses him gently. Johnny wants more, practically begs for it as he leans into it, kissing him firmer, hand tightening around the side of his throat but Kun pulls away only a few fleeting moments later. 

“Thank you,” Kun whispers. 

“Any time.” 

Johnny really can’t stand surprises. He hates liars but surprises are truly one of the worst things in the world to him. They just have this tendency of meaning nothing but bad things when it comes to his job that he really doesn’t care for them. He can’t stand the idea of them so the very prospect of a surprise is one of, if not, the absolutely worst thing to him. 

So imagine how impossibly annoyed he is to have to drive up to the front of Club Neo and find the place absolutely shot to smithereens. 

Taeyong called him almost as soon as he called the police and he pulls up even before they do. Why he even bothers giving them his tax dollars he doesn’t understand because the place is wrecked. It looks like a drive by so even though the windows are shot to pieces and the inside is a little bit worse for wear, it’s nothing that’s going to keep the place down for more than a week. Especially if Johnny has anything to say about it, stepping out of his car and slamming it shut as he walks up to the club, stepping on broken glass and shells as he does so. 

“Was anyone inside?” Johnny asks as soon as he walks up to the shaking Taeyong. The way he’s holding a cigarette says he’s shaking more with anger than he is shock or fear. 

“No, thank God,” Taeyong says shortly. He’s trembling and Johnny’s a little afraid to get close. Like if he gets too close to Taeyong he might actually explode and that’s more than a little terrifying. So Johnny tries to turn his attention to the mess instead. 

Club Neo’s windows are in shambles, they’re nothing more like glittering glass on the floor of the club, shards still clinging to their frames, all over the street, the sidewalk. There’s a crowd amassing on the other side of the street which is going to be very annoying and Johnny just hopes the police show up quickly so they can keep people away from the mess. He steps closer to view the inside of the club. There are a few holes in the back of the booths closest to the windows and high on the curtains down on stage, a few glasses having fallen off their shelves and smashed on the floor behind the bar but it’s not terrible. It really isn’t the worst kind of damage and the windows are going to be the most expensive fix. Still, Johnny has a terrible sinking feeling that he knows who did it. 

“Yong!” Someone calls out and Johnny looks over and sees a few figures running over. It’s Ten, Kun, Sicheng and Taeil. They live in the apartments nearby so Johnny can only assume they heard the shots and came to investigate when it was safe. Taeil is Sicheng’s roommate whom Johnny has only seen on occasion, as he has a normal job down at the grocers. They run down to meet Taeyong though, and Johnny turns to view him. 

Kun stops next to Johnny as Ten, Taeil and Sicheng go to check on their boss. He looks at the club and sighs. It looks worse than it is but Johnny can only imagine what Kun must be thinking. 

“It’s alright, it’ll be a quick fix. All of you back to work soon,” Johnny says and Kun looks at him. 

“Why do I have this feeling you know who did this?” Kun asks. Johnny sighs, hands on his hips as he surveys the damage. 

There ain’t a lot of people in the city who would want to mess with Taeyong, especially knowing who this club is affiliated with. The problem with that is, there are a lot of people outside of the city who would love nothing more than to take a crack at it to send a message to Johnny. And that’s more a little unsettling. 

“I don’t,” Johnny says and when he looks at Kun, he’s raising his eyebrow again. “I mean it. I don’t know. But I will,” Johnny says. “I’ll find out.” 

“See to it you don’t get yourself into any sort of bind while you do it,” Kun says. Johnny’s eyes fall while Kun walks away, glass clinking and crunching under his feet. He goes to Taeyong and Johnny’s gaze follows him, watches him check in with Taeyong. Taeyong, his usual self, waves them all off, insists he’s fine. It’s good to know that one of his best friends is fine but Johnny looks back at the club and can’t help but be filled with dread. 

Taeyong is thankful to have his club essentially back to normal within a week. He loses some clientele to the investigation but Club Neo is one of the most inclusive lounges in the city so Taeyong knows he’ll make it up when the heat dies down. Johnny offers to pay for the damages, knows it’s his name that tends to bring unfortunate circumstances onto the club but Taeyong waves him off, says Jaehyun’s company’s ‘generous donation’ should be more than enough to cover it. 

They manage to get a rush on the windows and the club is running again by the following Wednesday. They still need to replace the curtains and the booth backings and they’re down a few more glasses than normal but that’s truly the worst of it. 

Kun isn’t so sure. 

“And it’s over, just like that,” Kun says and Ten shrugs a shoulder. It’s Wednesday, their first night back and while the investigation is still ongoing they can’t just keep their doors closed. It’s bad for business and every night Wendy isn’t singing on the stage and the tenders aren’t pouring alcohol and the kitchen isn’t rattling with making food, they’re losing money. It’s just the way it is so Kun dons his waistcoat and bowtie and serves those that do make it out with a smile. 

“I mean, it ain’t _over_ over until the Sheriff calls it off but they got all the evidence they’re gonna get. Taeyong didn’t get a look at the license plate and no one on the street even saw the car or the shooters. Chances are, it’s a mob drive and the car’s already junked. They’re not gonna find it and it’s best not to get worked up about stuff we ain’t got no business getting involved in,” Ten explains and it’s not a good explanation. Kun doesn’t like that way of thinking but he knows better than to put his nose places it shouldn’t be so he doesn’t. 

The night is young and the crowd is thin. It’s nice in comparison to how quick it’ll fill tomorrow, even with everything that went on. Johnny told him not to expect him, not while they’re still on the hunt for the culprit. Kun has a feeling Johnny and his boys are going to be doing a little more looking around than the police are and whoever did it isn’t gonna like the results of that. 

It isn’t long before there’s commotion at the doors and Kun turns to look from the table he’s helping. It doesn’t last long but when the small crowd that’s omnipresent around the door parts, Kun straightens up a bit more. He knows these men and it puts him on high alert. 

“Can I take your coats, gentlemen?” Jungwoo asks, ever the gracious host and a little smirk tilts Seungcheol’s lips. He hands it over to the younger man and Jungwoo hangs them up quickly before walking them down to the lounge floor. Seungcheol is far from alone tonight, accompanied by a handful of his boys, Jeonghan, Jun, Hoshi and Woozi. Kun’s aware of all of them and he finishes with his guests quickly to head back to the bar, ducking behind it with Ten. 

He watches from the safety of the bar as Jungwoo seats them on the floor, an open booth near the stage. It’s not prime real estate but it’s better than most of the tables in the house. Seungcheol gives him a smile before he sits. Jungwoo, as he walks back up to the host stand, suddenly looks visibly shaken. Surely Seungcheol must know what he’s doing by showing up here and so suddenly. Kun doesn’t like the looks of this and tells Ten as much. 

“What the hell is he even doing here?” Ten whispers. “If this is him staking his claim on the drive by this past week, it’s stupid. He’s gonna get himself or his men killed just by being here. I already saw Yangyang run up to tell Taeyong. Johnny’ll be here in minutes, at best,” Ten points out and that makes Kun pale even worse. Ten glances at his friend and then does a double take. “Kunnie?” 

“I gotta take a break,” he whispers. Ten doesn’t get another word in before Kun jets, through the kitchen and out the back door. Ten glances over, notices Jun take notice of them but doesn’t do anything else. Ten swallows, suddenly nervous that this place might just be the location of two shooting events in the same week. 

As promised, Johnny Suh rolls into Club Neo like a bat outta hell. He’s kind to Jungwoo but short, and walks down the steps like he owns the place. He kind of does, even if Taeyong will do nothing but defend that this is his place. The fact of the matter is, this belongs to the Suh family and walking in like you own it and all but announcing to the city that you just shot the place to smithereens a few days ago is a bad move. Taeyong looks nervous where he’s since started loitering around the bar and Ten notices that Kun has yet to come back from his smoke break. 

“Seungcheol,” Johnny calls out. It’s enough to have everyone on high alert. The music stutters but the band is smart enough not to stop. Wendy has since bowed out but the music continues despite the way the atmosphere of the room has shifted since Johnny’s arrival. With him he’s brought Yuta, Jaehyun, Mark and Jeno and Johnny saunters up to the table with a smile, stands at the front of it with his hands in his pockets. Seungcheol gives him a relaxed smile. “Long time no see,” Johnny comments. 

“It has been, hasn’t it?” He replies. “I really oughta get down here more often, you know, Suh. You keep a great city and you keep great company. It’s funny, I’m actually here to see a friend.” Johnny lifts a brow, waiting for him to continue. Seungcheol, when he’s trying to make a point, doesn’t really have the patience for the build up. “You might know him, he just moved here. Kun Qian.” 

“I know him,” Johnny says. “Not well though. He’s an employee of Taeyong’s, he just started. I didn’t know he was a friend of yours.” 

“Ah, mutual friend, I suppose,” Seungcheol says. “An ol’ school mate of Jun and I. You ain’t seen him around tonight, have you?” 

“Well, I just showed up, I ain’t seen nobody yet but you,” he says with a grin. “But don’t mind me. I’m just here for a good time. No trouble if you ain’t lookin’ to start some,” Johnny says, pointedly. 

“You know me, Johnny. I ain’t that kinda guy.” It’s a flat out lie and that grinds Johnny’s gears. 

Johnny and his boys take a table not too far away from Cheol’s. The atmosphere remains tense and Ten notices that Taeyong stays on the floor, starts pacing around the bar. Ten slips into the kitchen once the initial shock dies down and the club starts moving normally, albeit a little more carefully than usual. He spots Kun as he comes in from outside, fixing his bowtie gently. Ten runs over to him, corners him back between the backdoor and the freezer and Kun shuffles back, surprised. 

“I do not suggest going out there. I’ll tell Taeyong if you go home, I just really don’t think you should go out there, Kunnie. Cheol told Johnny he was lookin’ for you and Johnny’s still here.” Kun closes his eyes, cursing under his breath. “It ain’t gonna be pretty if you go out there. You’re gonna look guilty as hell.” 

“I ain’t guilty for nothing,” Kun says, opening his eyes to give his friend a sharp look. “Who I associate with ain’t neither of their business. I ain’t never been a part of Cheol’s crew and I sure as hell don’t belong to no Johnny Suh. I’m going back out there, it’s my job and I’m not gonna let Cheol try to run me out of this place too,” Kun tells him determinedly. 

He shakes Ten off, walking past him and out of the kitchen. Ten leans against the wall with a sigh. If Kun’s gonna be this hard headed about it he’s starting to wonder if he should go home. 

For all that Kun knows Cheol wants to talk to him, Kun ignores him as he gets ready to do another round. He doesn’t even look at the lounge floor, even though he knows he’s being looked at, by more than a few people. He manages a few tables before Cheol gets impatient, as he often is, and calls out to Kun himself. 

“Kun! You mind helping an old friend?” 

Kun walks leisurely down the steps, giving Cheol’s booth a once over. Woozi looks far too comfortably in territory that ain’t his while Jun won’t even look at him. He doesn’t spare Johnny’s table even a glance as he gets down to the floor, walking in front of the booth. 

“‘Old friend’? Well ain’t that a bit of a stretch,” Kun comments. “What do you want, Cheol?” 

“Oof, so cold. C’mon, Kunnie, we were school mates weren’t we?” He lays on, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. 

“Maybe but that don’t make us friends. Don’t get that twisted, Cheol,” Kun warns him. Cheol grins at him. “What do you want, and make it quick. I ain’t your personal assistant.” 

“Ah, of course not, you must be rather busy ‘round here.” His eyes slide to the side and Kun resists the urge to clench his jaw. It isn’t subtle, the implications Cheol is making right in front of him and it’s starting to piss Kun off. “Round for me and my boys. Best whiskey, on the rocks.” 

“I’ll take mine neat,” Woozi says and Kun rolls his eyes as he writes it down. 

“Ain’t that just like you, Woozi,” Kun shoots back. “I’ll be back in a moment.” 

It’s the only interaction Kun gets with Seungcheol all evening, and for that he’s grateful. There were many times when they were kids that Kun got rather close to decking the guy and now that they’re adults he isn’t so sure he wouldn’t act on it, his boys in the room or not. He drops the glasses off shortly but doesn’t make a single move to speak to Johnny’s table. He leaves that to Sicheng and goes about his business on the upper decks, hoping to keep clear that no one lets a gunshot loose this evening. 

A couple of hours later, Kun watches Jun get up from the table, making his way towards the door. He passes up coat check and slides out the front with a pack in hand. Kun knows Junhui ain’t much of a smoker, can generally last a few hours without so it’s unlike him. This might be his only chance to talk to him without one of Cheol’s men on his heels so Kun slides out the backdoor with his own pack a few minutes later. 

Junhui has a cigarette in his fingers but it isn’t lit when Kun gets out there. He’s round the side by the kitchen doors and Kun strikes a match for him. Junhui leans into it and Kun shakes it out before lighting one for himself, tossing the dead one in the tin by the kitchen door. He doesn’t say anything and they smoke in silence for a short while, but Kun knows that Junhui must have something he wants to say. 

“Bold move,” Junhui says, halfway through a smoke and Kun turns to him. “Working in Neo. You didn’t seriously think Cheol wasn’t gonna find out you’re working under the thumb of one of his biggest rivals.” 

“It ain’t none of his business where I’m working, especially when I don’t live there no more,” Kun points out and Jun gives him a pointed look. “What I do isn’t his problem. Ain’t never was, ain’t never gonna be and getting his boxers in a bunch about me isn’t worth Cheol’s time to begin with. I told him my answer when he asked.” 

“Be that as it may, it don’t make you look good,” Junhui points out and Kun scoffs. “Kun, I’m not gonna tell you how to live your life but you’re from the north. You move a few towns over and think you can just work right underneath Suh? You can’t, someone’s gonna find out, and those rumors about you and Suh-” 

“What rumors?” Kun interrupts. 

“Are you tellin’ me you and Suh ain’t involved?” 

“No, we aren’t,” Kun retorts. “It’s not like that.” 

“Then what’s it like?” He replies, turning sharply to face Kun head on. “Because imagine my surprise to hear that one of my old friends is out here leaving Suh’s apartment the morning after walking into it.” Kun turns his head away. “Or is that not true, either?” 

“Johnny and I ain’t like that. He did me a favor, that’s all. What kind of person do you think I am, just walking into any ol’ man’s apartment.” 

“He’s a smooth talker, Kun,” Junhui reminds him. “You ain’t the first, you ain’t gonna be the last and I really don’t think your life is worth some good dick.” 

“That’s what you think I was doing there? Well, if that’s what Cheol’s so worried about he can rest assured that it isn’t, not that where I’m dropping my pants is any of his business,” Kun says and Junhui shifts back a little. “You gonna keep hiding behind Cheol or are you finally gonna tell me that maybe, just maybe, you’re out here because beyond that bad guy look you’ve so carefully created since graduation, you’re worried about me? Because I’m worried about you, Junhui.” 

“Ain’t got nothing to be worried about,” Jun says, leaning back against the wall. Kun walks around to stand in front of him and Junhui averts his eyes.

“Don’t I? I told you not to get involved, you and Josh. You didn’t listen and now you’re out here, following him around when you know damn well he’s not gonna do anything other than cause you a lot of trouble and the last thing I want is to be the one identifying your body when it’s been riddled with bullets.” 

“What’s the alternative? End up like you?” Jun shoots back and Kun ducks his head with a little rueful smile. 

“You right, Jun. How dare I want to live?” 

“At least I’m protected by Cheol. Whatchu got out here in these streets, Kunnie? You may have been a fighter but you ain’t faster than a gun.” He pushes off from the wall, steps right into Kun’s space. “You’re in trouble now, Kun, and there ain’t nothing Josh and I can do for you here. Shoulda taken Cheol up on his offer when it stood.” 

“I ain’t got no time for a man like Cheol.” 

“But you got all the time in the world for a man like John Suh. That’s too bad.” 

Jun scratches his cigarette out and walks back around the building. Kun drops his chin to his chest, taking a deep breath. 

“Well that was… tense,” someone says and Kun turns his head. Low and behold, none other than Jaehyun Jung is wandering around the side of Club Neo, cigarette in hand. Kun breathes a humorless laugh, shaking his head. “Quite the history you and Jun must have.” 

“How much you hear?” 

“Enough.” 

“Look Jae-” 

“Ah, no. Ain’t me you got to talk to,” he says and Kun lifts his head to view him. “I see what you got going on and it’s a hell of a mess, Kun, but that ain’t my problem. Your best bet is to bypass all the bullshit and just talk to the boss man himself. He likes you, to what extent ain’t my business, but he does and that’s useful to you. He ain’t gonna write you off as a liar yet but I assure you that you’re gonna wanna iron this out rather quick like. You ain’t gonna like the boss when he’s upset.” 

“I’ll keep it in mind.” 

“Johnny,” Kun calls through the door, knocking quickly. With Cheol and his men wandering around in the city it’s a dangerous thing Kun’s doing but he doesn’t have a better idea than this, especially when he doubts Johnny is going to be interested in speaking to him at all. But this is a necessary conversation they need to have and Kun huffs to himself in the hall, knocking again Johnny hasn’t come to the door. 

“Christ Almighty,” Johnny says, throwing open the door. “Get in here before someone says something,” Johnny tells him, ushering him into the apartment. Johnny shuts and locks the door behind him and Kun huffs again, waiting in the foyer until Johnny faces him again, leaning against the door. It’s a tense few moments as Johnny looks at him because while Kun knows he has some explaining to do he doesn’t want it to seem like he’s guilty because he isn’t. He just knows that there are a few things he hasn’t said and probably should. 

“Well, you’re tryna break my damn door down at three in the morning, so this better be good,” Johnny says. He pushes off from the door and walks right past Kun and into his kitchen. Kun sighs, taking off his coat and shoes, following Johnny into the kitchen. Johnny’s already got a tumbler of whiskey on his counter and Kun eyes it for a moment before meeting Johnny’s eyes. “Go on then, if you got something to say,” he says, tone bland. 

“Don’t treat me like that,” Kun says and Johnny lifts a brow, bringing his glass to his lips to take a sip. “Don’t act like I’m just one of your lackeys or somethin’. You and I both know it ain’t like that.” 

“What is like, Kun, because I don’t know,” Johnny says, setting his tumbler back down. “One moment you’re out here playing coy with me and the next we ain’t involved. I like playing cat and mouse as much as the next guy, I love a little hard to get but this ain’t that. Maybe you were right, we really don’t know each other.” 

“Look, whatever Cheol said to you, you gotta know he’s a liar. He’ll say anything to make someone he don’t like look bad.” 

“Then tell me the truth,” Johnny says. He leans on the bar, staring Kun down. “Tell me what I don’t know because right now you certainly look rather guilty, don’t you, doll?” 

“Guilty a what?” Kun retorts. “I ain’t guilty a nothing. I ain’t never been involved in Cheol’s type a’ business and I don’t plan on it. We ain’t friends and we ain’t never been friends. He doesn’t like me because I turned him down when he asked me if I’d join his crew. He’s been bitter about it ever since, ‘specially since Junhui and Joshua agreed.” Kun shifts rather uncomfortably, arms crossed over his chest. “At the end of the day, I’m not guilty of anything except trying to save my own skin.” 

“Why would Cheol approach you?” Johnny asks. He moves around the bar to get closer to Kun. “No offense, darling, but you don’t seem the type he’d look for. He’s got a habit of gettin’ himself into a trouble he’s gotta fight his way out of and I have a hard time believing you’re much of a fighter.” 

“Then you really don’t know me at all,” Kun says, lifting his eyes to Johnny’s. “I used to get into fights all the time. Most of it was playground stuff when I was a kid but there were more than a few tumbles that had me a little worse for wear. I didn’t start any of them but I sure as hell finished all of them.” 

“If you’re tryna impress me, you’re doing an alright job of it, baby,” Johnny says and Kun rolls his eyes. He’s thankful he’s getting some jokes out of Johnny at least, it lessens the tension in the room. 

“It ain’t important why they happened but I realized my ability to fight wasn’t enough. I didn’t leave town because I wanted to and while I’d love to open that can of worms, that’s gonna have to wait another day.” Johnny tilts his head a bit. “So I moved down here and apparently Cheol decided I had business important enough to stick his nose in.” 

“It makes you look bad, darling. You said no to him but you said yes to me.” Kun’s chin tilts up in a defiant manner and Johnny lifts a hand to cup it gently, tilting it back down. “I know it ain’t like that but you and I both know what Cheol must think. Loyalty’s all that matters in this game and you ain’t got none for him. That makes you look like a traitor, to him, to your city. It doesn’t look on you, babe.” 

“What do you suppose I do about that?” 

“Nothing you can do,” Johnny says. “Nothing except lay low for a little while. Just do your job, get a paycheck and keep to yourself. Unfortunately that means this might be the last time we see each other for a little while, doll. Not indefinitely, just until Cheol takes his ass back home and all this blows over.” Kun’s eyes slide to the side and it tips Johnny off that Kun’s disappointed. At least he knows he ain’t the only one. 

“I’ll give Jaehyun a ring and have him take you home,” Johnny says. His hand slides up the side of Kun’s face, brushing his thumb over the roundness of his cheek. “Can’t be seen with me, Lord knows what someone might think, seeing me take you home at an hour like this.” 

“How long do you think it’ll take Jaehyun to get here?” Kun asks and Johnny shrugs. 

“I dunno. Depends on if he’s awake when I call,” he admits. “Why do you ask?” 

“I dunno, I just get bored easily, I guess,” he replies, lifting a hand to toy with Johnny’s collar. “Might have to find something to distract me until he gets here.” 

“Well, I’m sure we can think of somethin’.” 

Jaehyun is awake but just barely when Johnny calls him up and he grumbles about the late hour but agrees to be on his way shortly. Johnny assures him it isn’t any rush and that he oughta be awake before he gets behind the wheel. Jaehyun’s half asleep so he doesn’t get the implication and for that Johnny is thankful. They hang up with Jaehyun agreeing to be over within the half hour and Johnny sets the phone down gently. 

“About half an hour, darling,” Johnny reiterates and Kun glances up from where he’s standing at the bar. 

“That’s a mighty long time for me to just be standing around,” he says. Johnny smiles and walks over to him. His hands land on the counter on either side of Kun and he leans in close. Kun tilts his chin up to look him in the eyes and Johnny wants to devour him. 

“I don’t think you’re going to be on your feet very long, darling.” 

Kun doesn’t get another word in before Johnny presses their lips together. It’s immediate, the spark between them. The build up has been excruciating and there’s nothing in this world Johnny wants more than to taste this beautiful man. Kun must feel much the same way because his lips part and Johnny licks into his mouth with a kind of reckless abandon he hasn’t experienced in quite some time.

His hands leave the counter to grab Kun’s hips, tugging him in closer and then lifting him up to set him on the bar counter. Kun makes a surprised noise into Johnny’s mouth but doesn’t react further than that, especially when Johnny slides his hands down his thighs to push his knees open. He fits right between them, hands sliding back up Kun’s thighs, touching and caressing in a manner that one could describe just shy of groping. He wants all of him, right this second and it drives him nuts that they ain’t got the time. 

Especially when Kun wraps his arms around his neck, forearms resting on Johnny’s shoulders as he goes soft and pliant in Johnny’s hands. For all the games Kun’s played, for all the back and forth they’ve had, Kun certainly loves to take. Johnny leans in, does all the giving, the biting and the kissing and sucking on his tongue while Kun leans in and lets him. He moans into Johnny’s mouth when he bites and tugs on Kun’s pretty, plush bottom lip and Johnny has never wanted someone more in his life. 

It’s incredibly hard to not lose himself in the Kun, struggling to stop himself from taking all of Kun right then and there, to not swallow him whole because Kun doesn’t make it easy on him. He lets Johnny touch him however he likes, up his legs, over his hips and waist and plastering their fronts together, tugging Kun right up to the edge so their hips line up and Johnny can feel him getting hard in his slacks. Kun gets a kick out of watching Johnny squirm Johnny realizes, maybe all of Kun’s shyness has just been an act to keep Johnny at arms length but they’re well beyond that now. Now Johnny has his entire self wrapped around Kun and based on the way his fingers clutch at the back of his neck, this is exactly where Kun wants him to be. 

30 minutes isn’t that long and that’s apparent when Jaehyun’s knocking at the door and Johnny’s forced to tear himself away from his baby. Kun chases his lips for just a second longer, pressing fleeting little pecks to his lips. Both of them must look a mess with the way they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, their lips red and kiss swollen. It’s been a minute since Johnny kissed someone like that and he can’t take his eyes off of Kun’s mouth, how plump and pink his bottom lip is now that Johnny’s gotten his teeth on it. 

“That must be Jae,” Kun says. Johnny lifts him off the counter and back to the floor, but doesn’t let him go. He keeps his hands on his hips and Kun looks up at him with a shy little smile. He’s a minx. 

“Must be. You better get outta here before it gets much later,” Johnny agrees. Kun looks at him from under his lashes and Johnny kisses him. He can’t help himself, cradles the back of his head as he kisses him hard and deep. Something he isn’t soon going to forget. 

Kun leaves after a few more kisses, the two of them struggling to let each other go. It’s torture, knowing Kun’s going to be well out of his grasp for some time. Johnny is weak for him already and he steals one last kiss before Kun opens the door to leave. 

“Be careful. I mean it, babydoll. I don’t know what those boys are thinking, they ain’t like mine,” Johnny warns him softly. “They’re far more dangerous.” 

“I’ll be fine. I told ya, I can take care a’ myself,” Kun says. He presses a final kiss to Johnny’s lips, something soft and sweet and lingering before pulling away. “I’ll be seeing ya, Suh,” he says. 

Johnny steps away before Kun opens the door. 

For all the care that Kun takes, he isn’t surprised to find himself here. He’s always been a little bit reckless, a little too obvious with the way he walks and the way he talks and the company he keeps. He’s been in worse binds than this. Ain’t nothing like having to explain to your parents why one of the neighbor boys took a shot at you with his switchblade. Kun’s been defending himself since he was a kid and he’s come away with more cuts and bruises than he can count. 

This ain’t exactly how he wanted his night to go though. 

Three days it was all quiet but it’s a Sunday evening. Ain’t nobody going into the club on the Lord’s day unless they’re really rattled so the crowd was thin. Remained quiet all day and that lends to Taeyong sometimes letting people go early, no need to have too many people on the floor if his staff almost out numbers his clientele. 

He shoulda known better but he didn’t think Cheol would be this reckless. 

So it ain’t no surprise when he’s all but thrown on the curbside outside an apartment building at four in the goddamn morning. He knows he’s bleeding, he’s bruised and he curls into himself when he hears the gunshot. That’ll wake up the whole goddamned block, but that depends on if anyone is brave enough to investigate. He can hear the car peel off, leaving a patch on the side of the road. Kun tips his head back against the sidewalk as the sound of the car becomes distant. He can barely get a full breath in, his ribs hurt so bad. 

He’s so sore it feels like an eternity he’s down there on the street. He could pick himself up but he isn’t sure he could walk with how tired he is. A full shift on the job and then this, Kun would rather fall asleep on this pavement than do anything that might cause him some more pain. He supposes he should be thankful, a lot of things on him are sore, bruised, but they don’t feel broken and that’s better than the alternative. 

“Who’s out there?!” Someone calls out and Kun turns his head. It’s one of the few parts on him that don’t hurt. The figure is just a shadow in the doorway of the apartment building but Kun could recognize that silhouette in a second now. 

“I know I took a beating but I didn’t think I was unrecognizable, Suh,” Kun comments, pushing himself into a sitting position. It’s not easy with the way his ribs are protesting but he manages to lean himself against the curb. He can hear him approach, slow, and then quick, getting down on the ground with him. Johnny’s features are shadows in the yellow street light and he gets down on his knees in front of Kun. 

His hands gently cradle Kun’s face, his thumb brushing against his lip. Kun hisses when it catches the split he’d given himself when he’d accidentally bit down when Woozi took a shot at his face. His cheek is bruised up from that sucker punch but it’s the only shot they landed above his abdomen, thankfully. DK used his stomach as a punching bag though so he’s feeling a little worse for wear, lifting a hand to Johnny’s wrist, the one not holding his bruised ribs. 

“Look, Johnny, I appreciate you worrying about me but this ain’t really the place to be looking me over,” he reminds him. 

“Can you walk?” Johnny asks, softly. 

“If you help me up,” Kun says. Johnny gets to his feet then, offering his hands, which Kun takes. Johnny does most of the heavy lifting to get him to his feet and swings an arm around his waist. His legs are fine but he leans against Johnny, his center of balance all sorts of fucked up from the way they centered most of their hits on his left side. 

It’s not an easy walk up to his apartment and Johnny holds him close all the way up. No one else seems to be interested in investigating and if his neighbors know who lives in this building, it wouldn’t surprise Kun none if that was the reason. Johnny lets them into the apartment and kicks the door shut, half carrying Kun to the couch. Kun falls on it rather unceremoniously, groaning at the way it jostles him. 

“I’ll be right back,” Johnny tells him and then steps away. Kun takes the momentary reprieve to finally take his damned waistcoat off. His bowtie is God knows where at this point but his waistcoat in pressing in all the wrong places. He struggles for a moment but manages to get it off, flinging it to the floor. It’s not great but it eases some of the pressure off his torso and Johnny comes back with a first aid kit and a damp washcloth. 

He sits down on the edge of the couch, turned towards Kun. He’s got a crease in his brow and a clench in his jaw that’s been there since Kun saw him. He reaches out gingerly, turning Kun’s face towards him. Kun knows he’s going to be rocking a mean bruise on his cheek for a while yet but he parts his lips a bit to let Johnny clean up the blood around his mouth. 

“I’d ask who did this to you, but I think I already know,” Johnny says and Kun’s eyes slide away even if he doesn’t pull back. “You ain’t gonna tell me which one of ‘em it was, will you?” 

“No, I’m not,” Kun admits. Johnny sighs, tipping his chin up a bit. Kun winces and Johnny brushes his thumb along his jaw in a soothing manner. 

It doesn’t take long for Johnny to finish cleaning his lip and when he sets the washcloth aside, he reaches for Kun’s hands. Kun lets him and glances away again when Johnny gets a look at his knuckles. They’re bruised to hell, there’s even a split on his right hand and Johnny lifts his eyes. Kun still doesn’t meet his gaze and Johnny reaches over for the washcloth again, beginning to clean his hands up. 

“Maybe I really do got you all wrong, baby,” Johnny mumbles as he works. 

“I told you I was a fighter. I got a few shots in myself before they got smart,” Kun comments and Johnny flips open the first aid kit to find the wrappings for his hands. “Look, Johnny-” 

“Is this the ‘another day’ you told me about?” Johnny asks, lifting his eyes. “Because it kind of feels like it should be. This ain’t business, this is personal. These boys came after you for a helluva lot more than they think you’re messing around with me. Why’d you leave town, Kun?” 

“Well, it ain’t that hard to figure out. You figured me out the very first night,” Kun says and Johnny lifts a brow. “Ain’t it obvious? I ain’t never been a straight shooter, baby, and I ain’t never gonna be.” Johnny lifts his head a bit as he views Kun with wider eyes. Kun huffs a humorless laugh, ducking his head. “I told you I got into fights a lot and I ain’t the kind to start ‘em but when you get into enough of ‘em you certainly learn how to finish ‘em. As a kid, I always had Jun and Josh by my side, they made sure I never got into too bad of a tangle but we all knew why it happened. I think my parents did too, even as a kid. But you know how parents can be. Not my son, he ain’t like that.” 

“What happened?” 

“I told you, my ability to fight wasn’t enough. I guess you could call me reckless.” 

“Break a few hearts, leave a few lovers behind, babydoll?” Johnny asks, lowering his eyes to his hands again. 

“I ain’t got nothing back in that town other than regrets,” Kun says. “Cheol always knew what I was and he hung that over my head. When I declined… he didn’t appreciate it. No one in that town appreciated it. If you’re mob you get away with a lot of stuff but you can’t be what I am and not have something tying you down. Something that makes you impenetrable. And I never was.” 

“Why his boys hate you so much?” 

“Because I hate him. Because I said no. Because I’m into men, take your pick, baby,” Kun says and Johnny meets his eyes again. Finds a kind of resignation in Kun’s eyes he ain’t never seen before. “At the end of the day, they hate me because they can. Because hating me is fine. Because ain’t nobody gonna defend me.” 

“That’s where they’re wrong,” Johnny replies. He leans in then, presses a soft kiss to Kun’s lips, gentle and sweet. Kun’s lip stings but he doesn’t mind as long as he’s got Johnny as the cause. Johnny pulls away and cups his cheek gently, pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips. “Tell me who did this. I ain’t gonna let another person hurt you, babydoll, you just gotta tell me the truth.” 

“I ain’t tellin’ you anything,” Kun says and Johnny pulls away to look him in the eyes. There’s a latent anger in his eyes and the corner of Kun’s lips tilts upwards. “I know you don’t like that answer but I ain’t gonna be the one for blood in the streets.” 

“Yours already is.” 

“That don’t matter. I’m not yours. Not yet.” The way he says ‘yet’ holds a promise Johnny didn’t realize he was waiting for. “You can’t start anything with them over me, not like this. And you know it.” 

The politics of the mafia are far more complex than anyone thinks. And while Johnny’s had them ingrained in his brain since he was a child, not many people would think about them. Kun, however, must know more than he lets on because he’s right. Johnny isn’t allowed to start knocking heads together over a person that doesn’t belong to him, not really. Kun’s still considered a territorial gray area and that drives him crazy because Cheol has all the rights in the world in this case to hurt him and he knows Johnny can’t do anything about it. Not without major repercussions. 

“Am I gonna have to start stationing men outside the club for you?” Johnny asks and Kun snorts. “Doll, you look a wreck. You think I’m the kinda guy to let someone put their hands on my doll and let them get away with it?” 

“I think you’re the kinda guy who knows when he’s in a bind. And you ain’t got a leg to stand on in this fight, so don’t go lookin’ for trouble. All the things I’ve learned about you, that ain’t your M.O., sweetheart.” 

“You gettin’ soft on me, Qian. Calling me all these sweet things just to talk me down?” He presses another soft kiss to Kun’s lips and Kun leans into it. 

“Is it workin’?” 

Kun’s hands aren’t properly wrapped, their conversation taking most of Johnny’s attention but that doesn’t matter. None of it matters when Johnny leans all the way forward and Kun eases himself down onto the couch. Johnny plants a knee between Kun’s thighs, hands on the armrest on either side of Kun’s head and kisses down into his mouth. Kun’s hands come up to the slope of his shoulders, holding on tight as Johnny kisses him. Three days ain’t a long time, Johnny was gearing up to keep his hands to himself for at least a couple weeks but Kun’s right back here in his apartment and he doesn’t care. Couldn’t care less about someone knowing because people know already. People seem to be doing nothing but tracking them these days and if they want to put their nose places where it don’t belong that’s their business. 

He’s had enough waiting. 

Kun kisses him so sweet, gentle little pecks that devolve into deep, mind numbing tangles of tongues. Johnny can’t think when he’s got his precious baby underneath him, doesn’t have any thought when all his blood’s rushing south and all he can taste is Kun’s lips. When all he can feel is Kun’s hands sliding up into his hair, left loose and wavy today and it’s the most brilliant thing, the way Kun’s fingertips drag over his scalp at the same time Kun moans into his lips. It’s so many sensations all at once and Johnny wants more. Always more. 

The magic is broken when Kun shifts wrong and he hisses, sharp and painful, into Johnny’s mouth. 

“Oh babydoll,” Johnny cooes. “Getting ahead of ourselves, ain’t we? C’mon, let me take care a’ you,” he says. 

He steps back and instead eases his arms under Kun’s back and knees. Kun grips to his neck while Johnny lifts him up. He makes it look easy and Kun lifts a brow at him. 

“Well, I didn’t know I was seeing a strong man,” Kun quips and Johnny smirks at him. 

“Be surprised the kinds of things I know how to do, darling.” 

He carries him down the hall and Kun notes that it isn’t to the guest room. Johnny lays him out on his own bed, a wide and long King size mattress that Kun can only imagine how much it must’ve cost with how soft it is. Johnny sits down on the edge and smooths his hands down Kun’s torso. 

Kun realizes it ain’t for his own pleasure, though he’s sure Johnny’s getting a kick out of it, when he stops on his ribs. It’s the barest amount of pressure and Kun grits his teeth, closing his eyes. They really did a number on him. It hurts like a bitch and Johnny is careful as he makes his way down, finds that it spans most of his ribs. He runs his hands along his abdomen and over the other side but it isn’t nearly as bad. 

“I think it’s just bruised, which is better than the alternative. I ain’t no doctor, dollface.” Kun huffs another laugh. “Can I take this off?” 

“If you wanted me out of my clothes, you shoulda just asked,” Kun jokes and Johnny shakes his head at him, stealing a kiss. 

Kun doesn’t stop him when he starts undoing the buttons. He eases his hand down Kun’s stomach, pulling at his waistband to help the shirt untuck without tugging. This isn’t how Kun wanted Johnny to put his hands on his waistband but that’s the way life is sometimes. When he manages to get it open, he slides his hand up Kun’s sides again. 

It’s electric, the feeling of Johnny’s hand on his skin. Beyond the pain that crackles underneath his skin at every touch, Kun marvels at the way Johnny touches him. Somehow he doubts it would be different if these were different circumstances. Johnny seems, for all his rough edges, the careful lover type. His hands are rough, big and warm as they sweep Kun’s torso and Kun tries not to squirm. The pain and the pleasure and the heated kisses they just shared makes his nerves a mess and he can feel himself thickening in his slacks. 

“I’m gonna go get something for the bruisin’, alright? I’ll be right back.” Kun nods and Johnny presses a kiss to his unbruised cheek before leaving his side. 

Kun struggles out of his shirt again, a little displeased that he has to do this again. It lands on the floor and he settles back a little more comfortably, head tipped back in Johnny’s pillows. There are many ways that Kun saw himself in Johnny’s bed for the first time but this was certainly not one of them. 

Johnny comes back with ice wrapped in a towel and gets to his doorway, only to stop short. He steps back and leans against the wall next to his doorway, willing his racing heart to calm down. 

Now is not the time for him to be feeling this way but it’s hard to ignore, the way want claws at his insides, turns his stomach in knots while he’s half hard just from the way he kissed Kun just minutes ago. Kun looks a dream, spread out on his bed, head tipped back in his pillows. If this were any other time Johnny wouldn’t hesitate to climb on top of him, having been thinking about this since the moment he laid eyes on Kun. He’s always been a fool for a pretty face and Cheol’s boys did Kun a service, not roughing it up. He’s got blue purple bruising smeared down his side but it doesn’t take away from his form, his beautiful physique, all strong lines and taut muscle. It’s distracting and Johnny needs a moment to compose himself before he can walk in there. 

“Johnny, I can see you right there,” Kun calls out and Johnny bites at his lip, caught red handed. 

“Just taking a moment, doll.” 

“You can’t take a moment in the room. I’m still kind of banged up over here and could do with some help.” 

Johnny bites back all the ways he could ‘help’ Kun because, Lord have mercy on his soul, he’s thought of a lot of them.

He steps into the room a moment later and wraps the ice a little tighter. He climbs up into the bed with him, taking up the empty space in the bed. 

“This is gonna hurt,” Johnny warns him. Kun turns his head to look at him and Johnny looks down at him. God, he is so beautiful. Johnny presses the ice as gently as possible against his side and Kun groans. Johnny kisses his shoulder sweetly, takes his hand in his to hold it to his side. Kun takes over holding the ice as Johnny continues to pepper kisses along his shoulder. Johnny slides an arm underneath his neck, holding him closer while his free hand smooths down Kun’s front. Kun’s breathing rackets up, labored and hot as he continues to look at Johnny while he kisses him. 

He lifts his head from Kun’s shoulder to press their lips together. It’s slower than before, the slowest they’ve ever kissed in the short time they’ve been trading kisses, long and languid and tender. This ain’t the way Johnny usually takes people to bed because it ain’t usually the way he does things. Johnny isn’t the type to fall for someone but he cradles Kun to his side like he’s something precious and knows he’s well past the point of no return. He’s a damn fool, got tripped up with a boy he shouldn’t have and fell right for him. 

“You really did get yourself involved with a bit of a bad guy, didn’t you, baby,” Johnny whispers into his mouth and Kun hums softly in return. “Oh goodness, didn’t you.”

“Maybe I did,” He admits. “Ain’t nothing I can do about that now. ‘Bout time I laid in the bed I made, isn’t it?” Johnny can hear what Kun isn’t saying. He slides his hand back down his body, fingers playing with the edge of his slacks. It’s all wrong, the timing, the situation but the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife and Johnny’s never been the kind of run away from situations. 

“I been thinking about you sayin’ that to me since the night we met. What were those first pretty words you ever said to me?” 

“Have you been helped?” Kun quips and he’s smirking as he says it. He knows those aren’t the words Johnny wants to hear and Johnny slides his hand down further, cups Kun over his slacks and Kun’s mouth falls open on a stuttered breath. Johnny presses a kiss to his plump bottom lip before sinking his teeth in. Kun moans as Johnny presses the heel of his hand down and pulls away just enough to speak. 

“You know the words I want to hear,” Johnny says. “C’mon, doll, don’t make me beg.” 

“Oh, goodness, I just don’t remember,” Kun continues even though he’s the one being held. He’s a dangerous little pretty thing and Johnny pulls the arm under his neck back to cradle the back of Kun’s head with a hand, tipping it down so they meet eyes, lips barely a breath away from each other. 

“Just those pretty words and I’ll give you whatever you want, baby. Won’t you do this for me?” 

“Of course, Mr. Suh,” Kun all but purrs and Johnny presses their lips together. He bites at Kun’s lips while Kun grips at the front of his shirt, right at his collar and threatens to rip the fabric. Johnny feels up over Kun’s crotch, can feel him hardening under his hand and smirks into the kiss. 

“Well ain’t that something,” Johnny whispers. “I had no idea my baby packs heat.” 

“Didn’t want to scare you off. You seem the type,” he admits, breathless, into Johnny’s lips. 

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, love. A lot of people think that men of my persuasion have a very particular type of man they’re attracted to but that just ain’t my thing. You see I’ve always been fond of the broader type, with nice shoulders,” he presses a kiss to Kun’s shoulder, “and thick thighs,” his hand strays just a moment to squeeze his thick thigh, “and a big, thick cock.” 

His hand cups Kun’s cock through his slacks again, rubbing his palm down over him and Kun moans in his ear. It’s one of the hottest sounds Johnny’s ever heard, the way Johnny’s lips aren’t muffling it, loud and unabashed. It’s not something they should be doing at this hour in this city but Johnny couldn’t care less as his mouth diverts to Kun’s neck, sucking a bruise into the base of it. 

“Whatever I want, huh?” Kun mumbles and Johnny meets his eye, pulling away from his skin. “You mean it?” 

“Whatever you want, doll.” 

“Then I want to see your pretty lips around my cock, Suh. Won’t you do that for me,” he pauses, presses a kiss to Johnny’s lips, “doll,” he breathes. 

For all that Johnny is in public, he’s nothing but a pleaser in bed. So he slides down the length of the bed, settles between Kun’s thighs and starts tugging his slacks apart. The ice has melted, nothing but a wet towel against Kun’s side and Kun pushes it off the edge of the bed. The blankets are damp and in the back of his mind he knows he’s going to trip over that in the morning but Johnny looks so good, bent over his hips and tearing his slacks open, he couldn’t care less. 

Johnny gently pulls his slacks off, his underwear sliding down over his thick thighs with them and Johnny tosses them as well as Kun’s socks off the edge of the bed, making Kun turn his head, amused. Johnny slides his hands back up Kun’s legs, kissing up the inside of his thighs, Kun watching him with hooded eyes. It still kind of hurts to breathe and there’s a pain in his side that makes him certain coming is going to be an uncomfortable ordeal but he doesn’t care. And he certainly doesn’t when Johnny makes his way to his cock and licks a thick stripe up the underside from the base. 

It feels so good and Johnny doesn’t hesitate to wrap his lips around the head. God, he looks pretty with a cock in his mouth. Kun knew he’d look good like this, with his pretty pink and plump lips. They’re a little more red with all their kissing and Kun knows he’s thick, puberty was especially kind to him, making him both long and thick but Johnny’s got a big mouth in every sense and he swallows half of Kun before he has to come back up for air. 

Spit clings to his lips and he looks a mess. Kun lifts a hand to run it through Johnny’s hair, pushing it away from his face. It’s a tad long, falls into his eyes and Kun wants to watch. Likes watching Johnny open his mouth and swallow Kun as far as he can manage, choke on his cock. It’s a good look for him and Kun moans when spit trickles down his cock, wet and messy. Johnny strokes what doesn’t fit, pulls off with a smirk. 

“You gonna come like this, baby?” Johnny asks and Kun grips his hair a little tighter. 

“I dunno, you want me to come in that pretty mouth?”

“I have better plans for that,” Johnny says. Kun lifts a brow, surprised by his boldness. He doesn’t seem to have any qualms with pushing Kun as far as he can manage, however, because he lowers himself, wraps his lips around Kun again and Kun holds tight to the back of his head as Johnny sucks on his cock. He bobs his head, slow and measured and when he gets as far as he can, so far Kun can feel his throat working to swallow around him, Kun holds him there. 

Johnny’s lashes flutter, mouth relaxing around him and Kun loves him like this. Kun has only been with a couple of men and they all fought him for this but Johnny likes it. He goes all soft and compliant under Kun’s hand and he looks a dream. Spits drips out of his mouth and down the length of Kun’s cock, mixing with precum and making quite a mess on Johnny’s sheets but he doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest. 

Kun lets him go and Johnny pulls off, taking a deep breath. Kun moves his hand to wipe at the drool collected on Johnny’s lower lip. 

“You prefer taking it, don’t you?” Kun asks and Johnny nods, eyes gone all glassy. This isn’t what Kun expected because while he isn’t opposed to being on top he’s generally been the one on bottom. But he’ll give Johnny whatever he wants if he’s going to be this obedient while doing it. “Why don’t you strip down for me then, baby?” 

Johnny does as he’s asked. Kun ain’t never seen a man get as cock drunk as Johnny, likes the way he looks when he is. He climbs back on the bed, stopping only briefly to find a foil packet in his bedside table and a bottle of lubricant. It’s the first time Kun’s ever actually had the chance to use personal lubricant before considering the taboo nature of it and it being near impossible to find without someone who can supply it. 

“You ever used this stuff before?” Johnny asks as he spreads his legs. He drips a generous amount of the stuff onto his fingers before touching himself and Kun is intrigued.

“I’ve always been more of a Vaseline man myself,” Kun replies. Johnny huffs a laugh, pushes a finger in and the sound unraveled into a wanton moan. Kun likes the way Johnny sounds like that, rolls onto his right side, thankful that they at least did him this favor, while Johnny opens himself up. Kun trails a hand down over Johnny’s chest, his opposite arm slipping between the pillows and Johnny’s shoulders. At this angle, Kun can get a hand around Johnny’s cock. And it’s as impressive as his own. 

Johnny’s delightfully well endowed though he’s got a bit more length while Kun has a bit more girth. He strokes slow down the entire length of him, and Johnny throws his head back, groaning as he works his finger in deeper, trying to stretch himself open. Kun presses kisses along his shoulder and neck much as Johnny was doing to him not long ago, watching the way Johnny’s hips move, rocking back against his own fingers in desperation. 

Kun does him the favor of sliding his hand down past Johnny’s balls when Johnny gets two fingers into himself and rubs a fingertip right along his rim. 

“Kun,” Johnny chokes and Kun kisses his neck, biting his way up his throat. 

“That’s right, baby. Doing such a good job for me. Opening yourself up to take my thick cock,” he mumbles and Johnny bites back a whimper. “I’m gonna take you just like this baby, all spread out and open for me. I wanna see all of you when I get inside.” 

Johnny’s made a right mess of himself, so slippery with lube that Kun can slip a finger in alongside Johnny’s. Johnny huffs an aborted sound as Kun does so, like he doesn’t have enough air to actually moan and Kun pushes in as deep as the angle allows. Johnny’s fucking himself with his fingers at a frantic pace, something quick and desperate and Kun can feel the give of him when Johnny scissors his fingers inside. 

Kun finds the condom on the bed and rips it open, rolling it down his cock quickly. Johnny’s fingers slide out of himself and Kun puts a hand under Johnny’s thigh, lifting his leg so he can line up. Johnny lets him, holding his other leg open with a hand on his knee. His pucker is shiny and wet and when Kun lines up, he teases a bit, letting the tip of his cock rub against his rim. Johnny whines, high in his throat and Kun presses a kiss to his shoulder before pushing in. 

The angle isn’t perfect, especially since Kun can feel his whole side sizzling with pain. This really wasn’t the right time to have sex but Kun pushes all the way in, buried to the hilt and listens to Johnny gasp. He looks incredible, the way he’s spread open on Kun’s cock, so thick he must be feeling the burn. 

Johnny bites back a few whimpers, rocking his hips, pushing himself back down onto Kun’s cock as he adjusts. This wasn’t even how Kun expected this to go but he doesn’t think he’ll ever get over how Johnny feels, so tight and warm and slippery with lube. It’s unlike all the other times he’s been with someone, both the way Johnny feels and the way he feels just lying with Johnny. None of the others were more than a quick fuck, something to take the edge off when they knew they shouldn’t. 

Here Kun keeps kissing Johnny’s shoulder and his neck and when he lifts his head, looks at Kun, he presses his face forward. His nose meets the place between Kun’s eyes, lips pursing to press a kiss to the end of Kun’s nose. This isn’t just a passing fuck, this is intimate, something Kun’s never had the chance to experience before and when he finally pulls back, slipping out of Johnny’s body halfway, he thrusts back in careful, tender, feeling the way Johnny’s mouth falls open on a breathless gasp more than than hears it. 

Kun wouldn’t even call what he did with Johnny in that bed that night fucking. That wasn’t what it was. He was making love to Johnny, pushing into his body slow, steady, trading kisses with every passing breath, every push and pull of their hips meeting. When Kun eventually pulled out to get on top of Johnny, hands pushing Johnny’s knees to the bed and sliding back in until his hips were flush to Johnny’s ass, that felt all consuming. Like every single moment they’ve shared up until this point was just build up to this and Kun leans down, pressing their lips together while Johnny’s arms end up thrown over his shoulders. Johnny’s fingertips dig into the back of Kun’s shoulder blades and bruised ribs be damned, Kun fucks into Johnny like he means it. 

He can feel the muscles in his abdomen protesting, sore and painful but it’s worth it for the way Johnny won’t stop whimpering. He won’t stop saying his name, over and over like a mantra, like it’s the only thing keeping him tethered to his world and Kun’s hand leaves one of his thighs to circle his cock, stroking him quick and rough, squeezing on the upstroke. The sounds Johnny lets out aren’t even full sounds anymore, broken on every breath and Kun only gets a high whine as a warning before Johnny comes. 

He comes all over his own stomach and Kun’s hand and Kun circles his hips, fucks into him deep and hard, the desperate kind of fucking from a man close to his end. And Johnny lets him, encourages him, all but begs Kun to come inside, blissed on his own orgasm and Kun does. He comes into the condom, Johnny stretched out so perfectly around his cock and Kun leans over him, gasping Johnny’s name into the space between Johnny’s neck and clavicle. 

They lay there for an indiscernible amount of time. Johnny’s hands slide further down Kun’s back, reeling him in closer until they’re almost pressed together. Johnny presses a kiss to Kun’s forehead, while Kun slides the hand not on Johnny’s stomach, coated in Johnny’s come, up the inside of Johnny’s thigh, curling around his hip. It’s a carefully crafted sequence of events, the way they curl into each other, Johnny’s legs closing around Kun’s hips, Kun tilting his head up to press their lips together in a slow, syrupy sweet kiss. 

By the time they’ve managed to clean themselves up it’s well past five in the morning and Johnny hands Kun a sleeping shirt before climbing into bed. Kun pulls it on and slides into the bed with him. He’s even more sore and settles down on his right side, facing Johnny. Johnny pulls him in closer, a protective arm over Kun’s left side and sliding his hand up and down Kun’s back until he falls asleep. 

“Goodnight, babydoll,” Johnny whispers and Kun tucks his face into Johnny’s neck before falling asleep. 

“Well, Jesus Christ, Ten, don’t act like you ain’t never called this number before,” Johnny says, leaning against the table. “

“I ain’t never called this number because I can’t find my damn roommate. I been up all night, making calls all over this damn city and Taeyong tells me that Kun got picked up outside the club by some boys he ain’t never seen before I knew it had your name written all over it. Now answer my question, Suh,” Ten shouts at him and Johnny rubs a hand over his face. 

Barely three hours of sleep, no coffee and Ten’s already shouting at him. 

“He’s here, he’s fine,” Johnny says, carefully. “I took care of him last night.” 

“Oh you took care of him last night. Well ain’t that nice a’ ya,” Ten jokes, sarcasm sticky like molasses. Johnny rolls his eyes. “If you took care of him, the least you could do is get him on the line for me.” 

“That seems terribly rude, considerin’ he’s asleep. Some people have a little more respect for others sleepin’ habits,” Johnny says pointedly. 

“Sleepin’ habits my ass!” Ten yells and Johnny pulls the phone away from his ear. “You get me my roommate or the next call I make is to the police.” 

“Alright, damn,” Johnny says. “Don’t get your boxers in the bunch. I’ll be right back.” Ten huffs but doesn’t argue. Johnny sets the phone aside and heads back down the hall. A rather rude awakening for him, having to roll out of bed at eight in the morning to his phone practically ringing off the hook. 

Kun is still curled up in bed when Johnny gets back to the bedroom. The bruising on his cheek has developed in the past few hours and is turning black and blue up the outside of his face. It’s not terrible but it’s not good either. Johnny sits at his side, brushes his hair out of his face for a prolonged moment because he can. He doesn’t want to wake his sleeping beauty up, knows he’s been through a lot in just the past few hours, but knows Ten will actually call the police on Johnny, unlike a lot of people, and doesn’t want to take the risk. 

“Doll,” Johnny says softly, shaking his shoulder. Kun rouses slowly, blinking his eyes open to look at him. He looks so cute, all sleep mussed. “I’m so sorry, darling. Ten’s on the phone for you.” 

“Ten?” He grumbles, turning over. It’s a bad move, the pain in his side skittering through his system and he groans, tensing up. Johnny leans over him in an instant, worried that Kun’s done something really bad but Kun merely puts a hand on Johnny’s bicep and shakes his head. “It s’okay,” he slurs. “Just forgot. Help me up?” 

Johnny helps him sit up and then get to his feet. Kun groans, holding onto his side. Johnny has a feeling that it isn’t going to be pretty when he gets a look at it. 

“I’ll get the phone. You go back to bed,” Kun tells him. Johnny doesn’t look convinced but Kun smiles, slow and sleeping at him. Pushing himself up a little further, he presses a kiss to Johnny’s cheek. “Go back to bed. I’ll talk Ten down and join you in a minute.” 

Rather than argue about it, Johnny lets Kun go and Kun heads out into the main room on his own. Johnny sits on the edge of the bed for a moment before falling back into bed. Sleep clings to his consciousness, three hours really doesn’t do it, even for him, and he rolls over in the blankets, settling back down. 

He dozes off at some point and wakes up to Kun climbing back into bed. It’s still early, the sun fights it’s way through his heavy, navy blue curtains to get into the bedroom. Johnny rolls over and is met with Kun’s lips. Kun kisses him sweet, chaste, again and again, a hand slipping over his waist and holding onto the small of his back. Johnny lifts a hand to cup Kun’s face, careful with the bruising. He’s still got that split but it’s not bad and Johnny pulls away to brush his thumb over Kun’s bottom lip. 

“Good morning,” Kun murmurs. 

“Not yet. Too early for that,” Johnny says. He throws a leg over Kun’s hip to draw him in closer and Kun chuckles, low and warm in his ear. “You talked Ten down, then?” He asks, pressing them together all down their fronts, lips landing on his shoulder. 

“I did. He stopped threatening to call the police,” Kun says and Johnny snorts softly. “I told him I was fine. I got into a bit a’ trouble last night but ain’t nothing I couldn’t handle. He said he’d pick me up so I told him I’d call him in a few hours. He didn’t appreciate that but he agreed.” 

“A few hours? How do you intend to spend that time, babydoll?” Johnny whispers. He lifts his face from Kun’s shoulder, pressing their lips together. Kun smiles into the kiss, moving his free hand to hold onto Johnny’s jaw, kissing him deeper, longer, letting his tongue slip between Johnny’s lips to memorize the lines of his teeth. 

“I’m sure we can think of something.” 

Johnny extracts himself from Kun’s arms and the warmth of his blankets around ten in the morning. They can’t do much about it, Johnny has some business he still needs to iron out, especially considering he can’t prove it was Cheol who was behind the shooting on Club Neo and now everything with Kun. He can only assume Cheol’s getting bolder as the time passes and he ain’t got the time to let him think he’s won. Kun remains in his bed while Johnny gets dressed. Under Kun’s suggestion, he doesn’t slick his hair back and instead runs a comb through it to keep it out of his face. It doesn’t do much, it’s getting too long to really keep away but Kun insisted from the bathroom door when he eventually crawled out of bed. 

Kun borrows a shirt from Johnny’s closet while Johnny makes coffee when the phone starts ringing. Johnny runs over to grab it, glancing down the hall as Kun appears, attempting to tuck Johnny’s shirt into his own trousers. The shirt is a little too big on him and Johnny smiles while he tries to keep an ear on the conversation. 

“-out north by the river. The police rolled up and saw signs of a struggle but nothing else. Doie’s gonna keep an eye on the investigation for us,” Yuta’s saying and Johnny tunes back in shortly. 

“North, by the river?” 

“Just past the territory line.”

Johnny moves to lean his shoulder against the wall, crossing an arm over his chest. Kun comes out the doorway a second later, gives Johnny a concerned glance when he notices the look on his face. 

“I want everyone on Cheol and his boys. If one of them breathes I wanna know about it, they’re starting to push my buttons.” 

“You got it, boss,” Yuta agrees before hanging up. Kun turns to face Johnny head on, a crease in his brow while Johnny sets the phone back in it’s cradle. 

“Where were you last night?” Johnny asks and Kun snorts, shaking his head at him. 

“What the hell kinda question is that?” 

“Out by the river, north of the territory line?” Kun adjusts his stance, glancing away. “That’s why you ain’t telling me their names. Not only am I not allowed to protect you as long as Cheol’s got tabs on you but his boys dragged your ass all the way to the river. Kun, they coulda killed you out there. That don’t belong to nobody, whatever happens out there-”

“Ain’t nobody’s business but who did it,” Kun finishes for him. Johnny pushes off from the wall, stepping closer. “I know what goes on out there. Someone disappears out there and the police ain’t gonna look, they know it’s a political no man’s land so what good is it telling you they took me out there.” 

“Who took you out there?” Johnny asks.

“I ain’t tellin’ you that.” 

“Goddammit, Kun, I’m just trying to protect you and you’re out here, not telling me shit about anything!” Johnny explodes. Kun doesn’t react other than turning his face away. “I can’t do anything about it but this isn’t about a personal grudge anymore. This is your life on the line and I don’t give a fuck if those boys want to start something with me, I’m not gonna stand idly by while they take it out on you.” He tugs Kun in close then, a hand on his hip while the other cups his cheek. Kun still refuses to look him in the eyes but Johnny leans in close anyway. “Aren’t you sick of letting them get away with shit? Why are you so willing to let them do whatever they want?” 

“Because this isn’t about me,” Kun says. “Because if something happens to me, it just happens to me. If you get involved, ain’t nobody gonna listen to you anymore.” He lifts his eyes then, hard and determined. “Cheol already knows and he knows what happens if this story gets loose. The big boss Johnny Suh getting into bed with someone like me? I ain’t just a man, I’m a known queer, Johnny. It ain’t gonna look good on you.” 

“To hell with what people think a’ me-” 

“You can’t think like that,” Kun says. “You ain’t got the freedom to. You want to keep control of this city, you shut Cheol’s mouth before he lets any of this get out. But you can’t use me to do it.”

“What do you expect me to do about it then?”

“You’re a smart man, Johnny,” Kun says. He lifts a hand to Johnny’s collar, straightening it out gently before meeting his eyes. “You’ll figure something out.” 

Johnny’s always hated liars. He thought it was a backhanded way of handling things. His dad told him that’s just a part of the business but after his old man ate lead Johnny chose otherwise. He donned the title of head of family cutting ties with anyone who didn’t want to play by his rules. He lost a lot of people from the family but he gained a lot of followers in the police department, in politics, people in high places. It was worth it to him and everyone who ever mattered stuck to him throughout the changes and he’s been doing pretty alright ever since. 

There’s a reason why he can’t stand Seungcheol and his syndicate. Knows that Seungcheol runs a shady business because morality don’t mean a thing to him. He gets what he wants when he wants it and that’s where he and Johnny differ. They just don’t view things the same way and that can make a world of difference in a business like theirs. 

So when Johnny rolls up on the edge of the river, he doesn’t feel good about it. He’s got his own heat locked and loaded in his holster and Jaehyun and Yuta in the car with him but Seungcheol’s been known to take a cheap shot once or twice. Johnny’s fast with a gun but he really isn’t looking forward to the prospect of a shoot out. 

When he steps out of his car, he doesn’t think that’s gonna be a problem though because one look at Woozi tells him he ain’t in any position to be putting up a fight. He was right when he thought the bruising on Kun’s face looked like Woozi’s sucker punch and it’s obvious the way Woozi’s also nursing a pretty badly bruising jaw and a split lip. Kun wasn’t joking about getting a few hits in himself. 

“Alright, Suh, what’s this about a business meetin’?” Seungcheol cuts right to the chase, as he’s been known to do. He’s sat on the top of his car, heels hooked on the sill of his car door while Woozi and Hoshi stand against the car. 

“You’re causing a lot of problems in a place you ain’t got no business causing ‘em in,” Johnny says, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. Cheol lifts a brow. “Look, I ain’t here to make any threats or suggest you been doin’ things you ain’t so I’m gonna be polite about it. You ain’t got no business in my territory so I suggest getting out before one of us oversteps.” 

“‘One of us?’ Don’t act like you ain’t talkin’ about yourself,” He says. He unhooks the heels of his oxfords from the sill of his car window and hops down. He mirrors Johnny, except that his hands land in the pockets of his trousers, pushing his jacket back and revealing the hip holster he’s got close. Johnny knows Jaehyun and Yuta are both strapped but so are Woozi and Hoshi. It’s an even fight but it ain’t gonna be pretty if something happens. 

“C’mon, Suh,” he goes on. “We both know what’s going on. You just don’t want to admit to it.” 

“I’ll admit to anything I’ve done wrong, you know me. But I ain’t done nothing wrong. However, one of my clubs has seen the business end of someone’s gun and you showed up just a few days later.” Cheol narrows his eyes. “I ain’t accusing you of nothing, that’d be wrong a’ me when I ain’t got no proof. But you can’t deny the facts. It don’t look good. And more over, this ain’t your territory. Walking up in here like you own it would get you shot in a minute anywhere else. You’re lucky I’m a nice guy,” Johnny reminds him. “So before this gets ugly, I suggest taking a long walk back home.” 

“That’s you askin’ nice?” Cheol asks and Johnny steps up closer. He’s not Seungcheol’s face, not yet, but it’s close. 

“Yeah. So I don’t think you want to see me upset, Seungcheol.” 

“Aight,” he concedes. He steps back, turning on a heel to walk back to his car. “I’ll make myself scarce. But just as long as you don’t get any ideas about heading north any time soon.” 

“Oh believe me, I won’t,” Johnny promises. “See to it you get outta town rather quick like. I ain’t bothered but some of my boys are rather ansty. And you know how it can be when you leave your boys to their own devices.”

Cheol stops short at the door to his car. Woozi narrows his eyes while Hoshi refuses to look ahead. It’s not a direct call out but Johnny thinks it’s obvious enough, especially considering the way they all react. Cheol turns slowly to face him, a fake smile plastered on his handsome face. 

“Don’t I know it. Don’t worry John, I’ll be sure not to linger.” 

“See to it you don’t.” 

The bruising on his face isn’t near as bad as it was before, a little yellow but in the dim lights of the club you almost can’t even see it. Kun’s thankful for that and his split lip is near completely mended. He didn’t attract a lot of attention for the first night but people certainly looked at him a bit funny. 

The worst was the fellow servers and coworkers. They all looked at him like he was made of glass despite him being one of the oldest on the staff. He brushed them off, insisting it really wasn’t as bad as it looked. He still got a lot of pity and hesitant glances his way for the first few days. He’s been able to shake much of it off and without the terrible bruising it’s been a lot easier to be at work. A part of him is still nervous that at any moment he’s going to turn around and find Cheol in the club again, though, and that can’t be good for his blood pressure. 

They’ve only just opened and the sunlight is still streaming in the open curtains. It’s only past four and Kun likes the way the light fills the room, tumbling down the decks to the lounge floor. Wendy and the band are doing a sound check while people trickle in the door, only a few people come in for late lunches or an early drink. They don’t stick around long like the night crowd will and Kun wanders between tables, checking in on guests before making his way back to the bar or kitchen. 

He’s only just traded his tray with Xuxi when someone touches his elbow. He startles a bit when he realizes how close they are. 

It’s Johnny and he leans in close, dangerously so. 

“What’re you doing here?” Kun asks. It’s only Tuesday, he doesn’t have any reason to be in, especially this close to Kun. It makes his nerves prickle a little bit, having Johnny so close to him in public. 

“Just came to ask ya something? You closin’ tonight?” 

“Yeah,” Kun says, not quite sure what Johnny’s game plan is here. 

“I’ll pick you up. Don’t worry about Ten, I caught him ‘round the back when I got in. I’ll see you tonight,” he says. Kun nods and Johnny winks before leaving. Kun watches him go, a little surprised and turned around. He takes his tray back from Xuxi in a daze, still trying to make sense of Johnny’s sudden appearance and departure. 

It was strange to see him during the day, certainly, most of their rendezvous happening in the late hours and, more than that, Johnny just didn’t look like himself. He was dressed to the nines, of course, in his slacks and oxfords and button down but he had his coat and suit jacket draped over his arm, hair loose and falling in his eyes. He looked startlingly casual and handsome and Kun knew he wouldn’t be thinking about anybody but Johnny for the rest of the night as he stepped away from the bar. 

It’s almost a change of pace, the fact that nothing happens all night. Kun greets guests, serves drinks and food and walks the floor comfortably. He wonders if he’s the only one that’s on edge but he sees the way Xuxi keeps glancing out the window, the way he sees more of Taeyong than he usually would. They’re all still a little uncertain of how things will unravel but the night remains dull, docile and Kun helps close the club up after hours with Taeyong and Yangyang, thankful for an easy night. 

He’s just managed to put the last chair up when Taeyong wanders up to the door, keys in hand. Yangyang zips around in the kitchen, doing the finishing cleaning touches while Kun grabs his coat as well as the kid’s, handing it to him before Taeyong unlocks the front door, letting them out. 

Yangyang’s already got his ride waiting, calls his goodbyes as he runs across the pavement to climb into a rusted old truck. Taeyong snorts as he locks the front, turning to Kun when he notices he hasn’t left yet. 

“You need a ride?” He asks. 

“Nah, I got one comin’,” Kun says. Taeyong nods slowly, pocketing his keys. He loiters for a moment as though he’s going to say something and then turns to Kun. 

“You and Johnny are involved now, huh?” He asks and Kun’s eyes widen. “You don’t got to lie to me. I’ve known Johnny a long time and I know his type, his persuasions. That don’t bother me, it don’t effect me so I don’t care. But you oughta know, for all the things Johnny’s done, and all the things people say about him, he’s a good man.” 

“Not what I expected to hear,” Kun says, turning to face him head on. 

“He’s rough around the edges. It ain’t been an easy life on ‘im, y’know? Given what he is and what he grew up in. You don’t become a mob boss by accident, you grow up in that shit and that can really mess a person up. But Johnny’s a good guy in spite of all that. I can’t say I blame you for falling for him,” Taeyong tells him and Kun shifts a little. “Johnny’s my best friend, has been practically all my life so I ain’t gonna bullshit you about him. He’s done bad things, you oughta know that. The parts don’t equal the sum like this, everybody’s got things about them they ain’t proud of and Johnny’s got a lot of them. And what he does ain’t pretty. As good a man as he is, you got to know what you’re getting yourself into if you let yourself get involved with a man like that.” 

“I know being with Johnny ain’t no walk in the park,” Kun says and Taeyong nods. “You don’t got to warn me. I think I already got an idea.” Taeyong’s eyes move of their own accord, glancing at the yellowing bruise on Kun’s cheek. “And I appreciate what you’re tryna do here, Yong, but I can handle myself.” 

“Alright,” Taeyong says with a nod. “Just don’t bring that shit into my club. I get enough of it from him.” He jerks his head towards the car pulling up to the street in front of them and Kun breathes a laugh. “Just do me a favor and keep an eye on ‘im. You seem like you got a decent head on your shoulder even if your taste men ain’t that great.” 

“I’ll do my best,” Kun agrees around a laugh. 

“Have a good night, Kun.” 

“‘Night, Yong,” Kun replies. Taeyong leaves his side to walk over to his own car while Kun climbs into the car in front of him. 

Much like most of the things Johnny owns, it’s nice. Kun gets settled in, Johnny’s forearm resting on the steering wheel while the other hand is on the gear shift. Kun looks at him once he’s belted in and Johnny reaches over, taking his hand in his, kissing the back of it. Kun leans back in his seat with a smile. 

“Having heart to hearts with Yong?” Johnny asks. Kun takes his hand back, letting Johnny put the car in drive and pull away from the curb. 

“Something like that,” Kun replies, casually. He looks Johnny over from the passenger seat. He looks much the same as before, but his jacket and coat are gone and his sleeves are rolled up his arms, revealing the lines of his forearms. He’s got nice forearms, strong with thick veins running down the length of them. It’s very distracting and Kun turns his attention to the road, elbow on the sill of his window, hand pressed to his lips. 

It’s not a very long drive to Johnny’s but Kun discovers Johnny manages to be a magnet for trouble when he sees a pair of flashing lights in the rearview mirrors. Johnny sighs and Kun resists the urge to comment. He’s got more than a few of them he could make but remains silent as Johnny pulls over. Johnny rolls down his window and waits for the officer to pull over as well before wandering up to the side of the car. 

“Well, if it ain’t John Suh,” the officer says and Johnny groans, a smirk on his lips as he shakes his head. 

“What in God’s name could you possibly want from me, Junmyeon? I been keeping my nose clean,” he says and the officer leans into the window with a grin. Kun’s seen this guy around a time or two but not given it much thought. He’s a police officer, what is there to say about ‘im? 

“Don’t I know it. Was starting to get worried about you, Suh, ain’t seen you in so long,” he comments and Johnny rolls his eyes. “How you been, John?” 

“I been fine. You know I got a phone, right?” He quips. “And I got someone I’m trying to take home.” He nods in Kun’s direction and Junmyeon looks past Johnny further into the car. 

“You ain’t gonna introduce us?” He jokes. Johnny sighs and turns to Kun with a long suffering look. Kun snorts, shaking his head at him. 

“Junmyeon, this a friend of mine, Kun Qian. He started at Yong’s not long ago,” Johnny says. “Kun, this man abusing his power,” Junmyeon barks a laugh, “is Junmyeon Kim. He’s the sheriff in this town and a friend of my dad’s.” He winks at Kun and Kun nods slowly in understanding. “A bit of pain in my ass but what can you do?” 

“Nice to meet ya, Sheriff Kim.” 

“Oh, you have a friend who’s polite, that’s a surprise,” Junmyeon says to Johnny and Johnny sighs loudly. “You as well, Kun. Do me a favor and keep an eye on this one for me, would ya? Can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble.” 

“I ain’t even do anything this time!” Johnny says, making Junmyeon laugh. 

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll find something,” he looks past Johnny at Kun again, “This guy can always use someone to keep his head on his shoulders, if you know what I mean.” 

“I’ll be sure to make certain he doesn’t get into any kind of trouble, Sheriff,” Kun says and Johnny looks over at him with a smirk.

“I’ll let you two get going then. Next time, answer my call and I ain’t gonna have to track your ass down,” Junmyeon warns Johnny. Johnny waves him off. Junmyeon taps the top of the car twice before wishing them a good night and sauntering back to his car. Johnny rolls up his window as Junmyeon drives past them. 

Kun doesn’t comment on their exchange with Junmyeon but Johnny keeps shooting him glances like he expects Kun to say something. It’s quiet all the way until they reach Johnny’s apartment, Johnny letting him in and taking his coat for him. Kun offers him a soft smile before wandering into the living room, only his fourth time in and it’s already started to feel like he lives here. 

“Kun-” 

“If this about Junmyeon, it doesn’t matter,” Kun says. He turns around and Johnny’s standing there with his hands on his hips looking embarrassed. “I already knew. I mean, I didn’t know for sure but Ten warned me about you, about your connections. I’m not surprised you got someone like the sheriff in your pocket.” 

“It ain’t like that,” Johnny says. “I don’t own nobody, he’s just someone I know. But you’re right, this isn’t about Junmyeon or who my connections are.” He walks over and Kun sits down, Johnny joining him on the couch. He takes one of Kun’s hands between his, kissing the back of it gently. Kun shakes his head at him and Johnny sighs. 

“Cheol’s gone.” Kun looks at him with wide eyes. “Not like that. He skipped town a day or so ago. We had a bit of a sit down, me and him. He agreed to get out of here, with the right suggestions.” Kun levels him with a hard look. “I didn’t say nothing about you, we never even spoke about you. I agreed not to take myself up there as long as he gets out of my city. He left the other day. I just thought you oughta know so you don’t feel like you gotta be lookin’ over your shoulder at every turn.” 

“I’m always gonna be doing this, it ain’t just Cheol that makes me like that.” 

“Move in with me,” Johnny says and Kun leans back, eyes wide and mouth open. “Ain’t nobody gonna mess with you if you’re living with me. I got no claims to you right now, you don’t belong to me, ain’t never gonna belong to me, because you’re right. We can’t say that no matter who I am but if you live with me, it’s good enough. Ain’t nobody’s gonna say something about you, put their hands on you if they know that you come home to me every night.” 

“I can’t just move out on Ten, what about his rent, what about the apartment,” Kun points out. “You got a lotta holes in your plan, Johnny Suh.” 

“I’ll give Ten a hand if I gotta. I got enough money in the bank to give him a loan, no interest, no catch.” Kun doesn’t look convinced, shaking his head to himself. “Baby, just think about. You don’t got to say yes right now. Consider it, just a little?”

“You’re outta your damn mind,” Kun says, lifting his eyes to look Johnny in the eyes. “What is it about you that makes me consider such stupid things because I can’t even say no to you outright.” Johnny’s lips turn up into a smirk and Kun lifts his free hand to push Johnny’s hair away from his face, his hand coming down to cup his cheek. “From that very first night, I shoulda walked away from you. Ain’t no way I shoulda let you walk me home and yet I let you walk me all the way to my apartment, almost kiss me right on that door step where anyone coulda seen. You make me so goddamned reckless, Suh.” 

“You ain’t the only one,” Johnny replies. He presses a kiss to Kun’s lips, sweet and gentle. Kun holds him close, kissing him back until they both pull away, eyes fluttering open slowly. “Just think about it, babydoll. You ain’t gotta do a single thing you don’t wanna but the offer stands as long as you’ll have me.” 

“I just don’t know what I’m doing with you,” Kun admits and Johnny sighs softly. “You’ve always been right. I’ve gotten myself involved with a man I shouldn’t be. A bit of a bad guy, ain’t you?” 

“You can walk away whenever you want. I ain’t the kind to force myself on anyone, not if they don’t want me.” 

“I just don’t know what I want, Johnny,” Kun admits. 

Johnny disentangles himself from Kun with that admission and Kun’s eyes fall to the floor. Johnny leans forward to press a kiss to his forehead gently before getting up from the couch. 

“Then I won’t get in your way while you think it over,” he says. “I’ll be just down the way in my office if you need me. Just, uh… let me know, if you leave, alright?” Kun huffs a breath, something that like sounds like a laugh but also doesn’t at all. Johnny walks away then and Kun looks up only when the office door shuts down the hall. 

There’s a moment where Kun doesn’t know what to do. He sits in silence for a period of time, just thinking about his options. About the ultimatum he’s been given. And it’s not that Kun can even blame Johnny. After all they’ve been through in just the past few weeks and now Kun’s said this. Now, after all this time, Kun doesn’t know what he wants. He’s been in this apartment a total of four times, has kissed Johnny an immeasurable amount of times, had sex with him in the bed just down the hall and now Kun doesn’t know what to say. 

He stands up and paces the length of Johnny’s apartment for a period of time. There’s a lot of walking space in the living room and he puts his head in his hands as he thinks it over. His head is beginning to hurt with how hard he’s thinking, his stomach and chest are in knots, just the thought of walking away from this, even though a part of him really thinks he should. Even though he knows he’s in over his head and getting further involved with Johnny might only mean more trouble for everyone involved. 

In the end it only takes 15 minutes for him to make up his mind and he stops walking, rubbing his hands over his face. In the end he knows that there are pros and cons to both of these options but only one of them involves him being actually happy. 

“Come in,” Johnny says, sitting in his office chair. He attempted some paperwork but it really is pointless when he can’t think of anything but Kun. In just 15 minutes he’s had to talk himself out of walking out there and asking Kun to stay, asking Kun not to leave at least a thousand times. Because even if they’ve only known each other a short time, Johnny’s already messed up and fallen for him. So the grip around his heart is icy when he calls out for Kun to come in. 

The door opens and Kun walks in with two tumblers of whiskey. One is neat, the other is on the rocks and Johnny grins to himself, ducking his head. Both of the glasses land on the desk and Kun pushes at his chair until Johnny rolls back away from his desk. Kun slides himself between the desk and Johnny, settling himself side-saddle on Johnny’s lap comfortably. Johnny wraps an arm around his back, the other over his thighs. Kun lifts both of their glasses, placing the neat glass in Johnny’s hand and taking a sip of his own. 

“I just don’t understand the draw of drinkin’ warm whiskey,” Kun says after a moment. Johnny takes a sip of his own drink, straight faced. “I’m seein’ a heathen,” Kun whispers, leaning in to kiss him. 

“I’m a heathen for a lot more than the way I drink my alcohol, baby,” Johnny says. He set his glass down, wrapping his arms around Kun’s middle to clasp his hands on Kun’s hip, keeping him close. Kun sets his glass down, wrapping his own arms around Johnny’s neck and Johnny presses a kiss to that little freckle on his throat that Kun has since bared, removed his bowtie and waistcoat, unbutton the first couple buttons of his shirt. 

“I want you,” Kun says and Johnny meets his eyes shyly. “I just don’t want to turn around and find myself at a funeral, Suh.” 

“Oh, baby, I’m built tough. It’s gonna take quite a bit to take me down, rest assured about that,” Johnny says and Kun shakes his head with a little rueful smile. Johnny moves a hand to tilt Kun’s head up so their eyes meet. “I ain’t gonna do that to you, darling. As long as you want me you got me. I don’t do nothing as reckless as that and I promise you, as long I got you waiting at home I won’t ever be like that.” 

“Accidents happen.” 

“Maybe they do,” Johnny admits. “But that ain’t no reason to not live. And as long as I am alive I want to spend every spare moment with you. Maybe I’m ahead of myself, maybe that ain’t what you want but-” 

Kun cuts him off with a kiss. Something hard, lips pressed together firmly. Kun threads his fingers through the hair at the back of Johnny’s head while the other clutches at the back of his neck. Johnny slides his hand up Kun’s hip to hold onto his waist, fingers still holding Kun’s chin. This kiss isn’t heated but it isn’t sweet. It means something and Kun pulls away slowly, lets it linger. 

“That’s all I want,” Kun admits. “I ain’t going nowhere because even though I damn near got the life scared out of me and the hell beat out of me just this past week, there ain’t nowhere else I want to be other than right here, with you.” 

“Then you don’t ever have to leave if you don’t want to, babydoll.”

**Author's Note:**

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